Electrocution

[badlands]

What is the name of your state? Texas, I am a service tech I repair airconditioners,heaters ice machines,refrigeration and resturaunt equiptment,I have been doing so for 15 yrs,last week I was at a freinds parents resturaunt and they had a refrigerater that was not working it was a home type unit not commerical grade, I looked at it and found the power cord was chewed through by rats, I went to the hardware store and got a heavy up grade replacement cord and insalled it on the unit,I used UL listed butt connectors and tie wrapped the cord to the case so the repair could not be pulled lose as I have done many times in the past, I did not charge them for this repair, I have done work for them in the past and have gotten paid but not this time, a week went by and my freind called me and said that the refrigerater was not cooling and the side was hot, I told him to pull it away from the wall and I would look at it when I got out of work, he said that it had to be moved anyway because the store was closed for pest spraying, the pest guy found a dead rat under that same refrigerater and my freind reached in to remove it and got electrocuted and is now on deaths door, a local man who owns a hardware store and does some repair work around the area and is freinds with the people who own this resturaunt looked at the refrigerater and my repair and said that I had crimped the butt connectors to tight and some metal was showing and that is what caused my freind to get electrocuted, my question is can I be in any legal trouble for this?? and can the man that is saying this about me get in any trouble for slander? I work in and around this area to make a living, I don't need this man trashing me, I make these same repairs in my own home that my childern and wife use the things I have repaired, and have made many repairs on jobs and have never had anything like this happen, I do feel bad for my freind and his family but I know that my work was done in a proper manner and I did not do anything to hurt anyone, can someone help me on this matter please, Thank you for your time>>>.

[stephenk]

1. yes you can be in legal trouble if your repairs were the cause of the electrocution;

2. no you can't sue the guy for slander.

[badlands]

The state inspector came in and cleared me of all responability, now The loud mouth man that is spreading the rumor that my repairs killed this guy is still at it and it is hurting my lively hood in a major way(loosing work) is that not a reason to do something legal to this person?? not to mention hurting my family with his remarks, my son came home from school and said dad did you kill someone?, how do you think that would make you feel?? need advice>>>.

[hollywoodtdb]

texas

you may be off the hook now if the inspector cleared you

i would think you would have a case for slander

talk to a lawyer and see if it is feasible in your situation and if maybe a well worded letter might help