A Burlington couple is suing Duke Energy and one of its alleged subcontractors to recover what they estimate are more than $105,000 in damages after multiple power surges in June and July 2025 fried their electronic equipment.
Erle and Patricia Medford of 2911 Anita Court in Burlington relied on utility services provided by Duke Energy to operate their home-based embroidery business and a consulting business, based on the lawsuit they filed against Duke Energy and Utility Partners of America in Alamance County superior court last fall.
Duke Energy’s general counsel, James McLean of Charlotte, filed a motion for leave to file cross-claims against the co-defendant in the suit filed by the Medfords. Ala-mance County senior resident superior court judge Andrew (“Andy”) Hanford entered an order granting McLean’s motion, following a brief hearing in superior court last Monday morning, June 29.
In their suit, the Medfords claim that the co-defendant, Utility Partners of America (UPA), had installed a power panel at their home in July 2020, under a subcontract with Duke Energy.
According to the suit, multiple power fluctuations between late June 2025 and mid-July 2 of last year caused the panel to overheat, “emitting smoke and a burning smell,” which prompted the Medfords to immediately contact a local electrician, who attempted to resolve the “persistent electrical issues” by replacing nine breakers that had tripped.
On July 11, 2025, the same day that the local electrical technician had replaced the nine breakers, the couple discovered that a computer, range hood and fan, and twelve light bulbs and fixtures had failed.
Meanwhile, they experienced numerous power flickers and tripped breakers during the week between July 12 and July 19, 2025 before losing power completely to the “residence main panel” on July 20 and July 21, 2025, according to the lawsuit. Erle Medford contacted Duke to report the failure after discovering that the power panel was hot to the touch, but the utility company said it was unable to send out a technician until five or six days later.
The Medfords contend that a local electrician ultimately discovered that the power panel had not been properly installed by UPA or maintained by Duke Energy, according to their suit.
“Because Duke Ener-gy’s scheduled visit was several days away,” and growing concerned about the severity of the electrical problems and potential fire risk, the Med-fords again contacted the same local electrician, who diagnosed the problem as having stemmed from the panel owned by Duke Energy. “When he opened the panel,” the suit asserts, “he discovered that…electricity was arcing from the neutral line.” Erle Medford contacted Duke Energy and asked for a technician to be sent to his home right away.
The Duke Energy service technician who came to the couple’s home on July 21, 2025 informed the Medfords that: the problem had been caused by a “faulty installation and/or inspection of the panel” in July 2020; that Duke Energy was responsible for installing, inspecting, and maintaining the panel; and that their electrician had correctly diagnosed and fixed the problem, according to the lawsuit that the couple subsequently filed in superior court last fall.
Duke’s technician also suggested that the Medfords file a claim for reimbursement by Duke Energy. After the couple “exhaustively catalogued and compiled all the property damage” caused by the faulty panel, they calculated their approximate damages at more than $105,000, which covered losses to their home businesses and household “due to the loss of usable equipment and appliances,” according to their suit. The Medfords also discovered that the “neutral wire” to the faulty panel had burned through and charred the inside of a wooden kitchen cabinet.
Duke Energy acknowledges receiving a call from the Medfords about damage to the house power panel on July 21, 2025.
However, the utility company claims that UPA, not Duke Energy, ultimately contacted the couple to schedule a site visit for the following week, based on the response to the suit that McLean filed for Duke Energy in December 2025. (Duke had originally hired UPA to install the home power panel in 2020 but sent one of its own technicians to the Medfords home on July 21, 2025, according to the couple’s lawsuit.)
Duke Energy denies any liability for the damage and, as such, has declined to compensate the Medfords for their alleged damages, according to its response to the lawsuit.
Duke’s insurer denied the couple’s claim on September 22, 2025, as did UPA a week later, on September 29, 2025, according to the suit.
UPA, which is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contends that its labor and materials were fully completed and accepted when the company was hired to install the panel in 2020 and therefore bears no liability for damages that occurred after its work was completed.
“The claims…are barred, in whole, or part, to the extent it is established that others subsequently altered and/or modified Utility Partners’ work without its knowledge, authorization, and/or consent,” notes the response filed earlier this year for UPA, which is being represented by the McAngus Goudelock & Courie law firm in Charlotte.
Both Duke Energy and UPA are asking for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
The Medfords are seeking more than $25,000 in damages under multiple alleged causes of action, including negligence and breach of contract, as well as recovery of their costs for filing the lawsuit and interest. The couple is being represented by Benjamin D. Overby and R. Bryan Norris, Jr. of the Vernon Law Firm in Burlington.
