Electrician Who Lost Thumb, Part of Hand Wins Suit

An electrician who lost his thumb and part of his hand when he touched a 480-volt electrical line at General Dynamics’ Lindbergh plant has been awarded $642,000 by a San Diego Superior Court jury.

Earl Restine, 37, was working for Fuller Electric on March 25, 1988 when he touched a live wire that powered an overhead crane at the plant. The accident happened on Restine’s first day on the job, which was also the day that Fuller completed its construction contract, said Restine’s attorney Daniel Krinsky.

“Nobody told him that the wire was hot. He was crawling in a ceiling, when he attempted to steady himself by grabbing the wire. He welded himself to 480 volts for about 40 seconds to a minute. His thumb was fried right off . . . ,” Krinsky said.

According to Krinsky, Fuller Electric had been hired as a subcontractor by the general contractor A. E. Copeland, which had been contracted by General Dynamics to remodel a mezzanine office.

The jury reached its verdict for Restine and against Copeland and General Dynamics on Tuesday, following a three-week trial. However, attorneys for General Dynamics and Copeland said that additional legal issues still have to be resolved before a judgment is awarded to Restine.

Mark Zebrowski, who represented General Dynamics, said the defense contractor believes it is entitled to 100% indemnification from Copeland for any damages that might be awarded to Restine.

“Lawyers for all sides will be talking in the next few days to set hearings where this and other issues will be discussed,” Zebrowski said.

Copeland’s attorney, Tom Dymott, said that a judge will also have to decide whether each defendant should pay a percentage of the damages and what percentage of Restine’s injuries resulted from his own negligence.

“There are additional issues that may materially affect the final judgment. These will be presented to a court and decided later,” Dymott said.

Restine recovered from his injuries after seven operations and is back at work, but he now has an office job with Fuller. According to Krinsky, Restine is now part-owner of the company as a result of marrying the boss’ daughter.