Utility denying responsibility for electrical problem

[Stephen Shelton]

Recently I got a call from a tenant stating that the electric was going crazy in her house.  Lights were extra bright, shutting off the breaker to the fridge caused lights to flicker, and some bulbs burnt out while I was there.  The biggest problem was that she saw smoke coming from the rear of the electric oven and that ultimately claimed the life of the oven.

I called a 24/7 electrician, he determined the issue was outside the home, and the power company's repairman quickly spotted the issue atop a pole leading the power to the house. I filed a claim with the electric company and today I received a letter from their management company denying the claim.  It says:

So... 

• If a tree branch falls on a car I'm responsible.
• If a shingle blows off the roof and hits someone on the head I'm responsible.
• If the tenant has a pet that bites someone I'm responsible
• If someone in 70 years of life never learned that water makes things slippery slips on a wet sidewalk after a thunderstorm I'm responsible for the new hip.

But...

If the electric company does not maintain their lines and send screwy voltage into my house it's not their fault? Squirrels are everywhere down here. Is it not negligent for them to provide inadequate shielding or conduit on the power wires to protect against basic and well known threats from the environment?

In the end, the emergency electrician cost $210 and the replacement stove cost about $492.

Also the electric is in the tenant's name and not mine.  (I'm not sure if that matters)

So what should I do?  Should I reach out to an attorney?  Should I demand this company visit each property and install proper protection on the electrical cables to prevent this from happening again?