Lawsuit: Region Ten worker’s action led to fire [The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va.]

Dec. 17--An Ohio insurance company is seeking more than a quarter-million dollars in a lawsuit, springing from a 2007 fire, against Region Ten Community Services Board.

Cincinnati Insurance Co. is alleging that a Region Ten employee, who is also named as a defendant, caused a fire at a Region Ten housing facility by tampering with a circuit breaker.

Region Ten was using the property, located at 150 Goodman St. in Charlottesville, to house mentally handicapped residents, according to the lawsuit.

The suit states that there had been periodic power outages in at least one unit at the property.

The insurance company alleges in its lawsuit, filed in Charlottesville Circuit Court last week, that after resetting the circuit breaker in the wake of a series of power outages, employee Keith Johnson taped the circuit breaker open.

In the lawsuit, the company claims that action was a breach of Region Ten's duty to care for the residents and "created the imminent, looming and likely electrical failures, with resulting personal property damage."

On May 27, a fire damaged the structure, according to the suit. In its legal filing, the insurance company said it has paid out more than $185,000 as a result.

Both sides of the lawsuit have been tight-lipped about the dispute.

"Because the matter is in litigation, I'm not able to comment on this outside of court at this time," said John Davidson, the attorney representing Region Ten.

The group's executive director, Robert Johnson, also declined comment, but confirmed that he is no relation to Keith Johnson.

The insurance company said in a statement that the lawsuit was an attempt to "take action to recover the amount we paid our policyholder."

Although the space was operated by Region Ten, it was owned by Community Services Housing Inc., a Charlottesville company that had a policy with the insurer.

The insurance company is seeking $250,000 in damages, plus interest and the cost of taking legal action.

Keith Johnson and Community Services Housing could not be reached for comment.

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