Electrocution
Electrocution accidents are so common on construction sites and so severe that they are labeled as one of the Fatal Four by OSHA. These accidents can cause anything from minor to severe injuries and death, depending on how much electrical current entered the body of the victim.
While these accidents can and do happen on jobsites nearly every day, many of them can be prevented. If the accident was due to negligence on part of the property owner or the construction company, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the cost of medical care and other damages.
How to Establish Liability
One of the first steps in building a case for compensation in an electrocution accident is to determine who was liable. The parties who may be considered in this type of incident include the employer, other employees, other contractors or the property owner.
Some of the ways that negligence is seen in electrocution accidents include the following:
- Poor workplace practices
- Poor maintenance of electrical equipment
- Failure to resolve issues with identifiable hazards
- Installation of electrical components that doesn’t meet OSHA or industry requirements
- Failure to install electrical components or maintain them according to code
Along with negligence, a person may have grounds for compensation after an electrical shock if it involved a defective product.
The person who is injured may seek compensation for their medical bills along with lost wages if they missed work because of the injury, and pain and suffering. The family may also claim wrongful death if the person died from the electrocution.
Injuries from Electrocution
A person who suffers an electrical shock may exhibit various symptoms, depending on how much voltage was present. They may have burns that range from minor to third degree. They may go into cardiac arrest or start having chest pain. The person may suffer other heart problems or seizures. They may start having trouble breathing or become confused. It’s possible that an electrical shock can lead to unconsciousness.
Determining liability for electrocution depends on who was responsible to maintain the safe working environment. If the incident happened because of negligence, the party liable is the one that should have taken care of the situation before the accident. An attempt to repair the problem that doesn’t meet regulations would likely be seen the same as if they did nothing.
Sometimes the situation isn’t simple. The victim may also be partly to blame. Perhaps they didn’t follow procedures in installing electrical components. They may still receive partial compensation for the part of the blame that is on the other party. For example, the supervisor might have failed to check on the employee to make sure they were following the procedures or the employer may not have trained the employee on how the process was supposed to be completed.
An experienced workplace injury attorney can determine liability and help the victim build a case. They will investigate the incident and review medical documents and other paperwork to decide on the next steps.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an electrocution accident or if your family member died from such an incident, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages and loss. Contact Weiser & Associates for a free consultation at 888-254-4697 or [email protected].
