Each year in the United States, hundreds of workers are killed and thousands are injured in workplace accidents involving electricity.
Electrocution injuries and fatalities happen to many types of workers, including electricians, construction workers, repair personnel, and maintenance workers. While employees may file claims for workers’ compensation benefits with their employers after an injury occurs, in certain situations, they may also choose to contact an electrocution injury lawyer.
Electrocution Injury Lawyer
The circumstances of an electrocution accident will dictate whether or not a worker has grounds to file a lawsuit in addition to a workers’ compensation claim. Personal injury lawsuits may be appropriate when products have design or manufacturing defects. In construction site electrocution accidents, third-party subcontractors might be liable if their negligence or shoddy work results in unsafe conditions in which others are shocked. Repair personnel may also be liable if their negligent repairs result in electrical accidents that injure others. Finally, utility companies may also be liable if they have negligently repaired or placed power lines, leading to shock injuries to people working around them.
In all of these types of situations, a skilled electrocution injury lawyer and workers’ compensation lawyer may file a civil lawsuit against the party or parties responsible for the accident.
Dangers of Electrocution Injuries
Exposures to electrical currents may cause a broad range of injuries. People may suffer external and internal burns, which may result in compression of the arteries due to swelling. This may then cut off the blood supply to the limbs, leading to amputations.
Electrocutions may also cause kidney damage, deadly interferences with heart rhythms, and cataracts. Some people who make contact with an electrical current undergo bad falls, resulting in injuries like fractures or dislocations. People who are shocked may also suffer from spinal cord nerve damage that leads to paralysis, chronic pain, or numbness. People who have suffered from electrical injuries to their nerves and brains may be left with permanent disabilities, including short-term memory loss, mobility problems, personality changes, sleeping problems, and traumatic brain injuries.
Common Causes of Workplace Electrocution Accidents
There are several leading causes of workplace electrocution accidents. Many workers are electrocuted when they come into contact with overhead power lines when using ladders near to them. Other workers are injured when they are shocked by exposed wiring or when they are repairing electrical circuits. Shorts in appliances and tools sometimes cause electricity-related injuries. It is also common for workers who are repairing machinery to suffer from electrocution accidents. Light fixtures, transformers, and other electrical components are frequently the cause of workplace electrocution accidents.
Violations of Federal Safety Regulations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for enforcing federal safety regulations for workplaces. OSHA has a number of safety rules in place that are meant to prevent workplace electrocution accidents from happening. In some cases, electrocution injuries and fatalities may happen because facilities or workers have violated those rules. A skilled electrocution injury lawyer may be able to identify whether or not an OSHA violation has occurred.
When people suffer electrocution accidents at work, they may be left with permanent disabilities, such as blindness, nervous system damage, and severe burns. Unfortunately, some may even be killed. Determining what parties are responsible for an accident involving an electrocution can be complicated, so it is important that you contact an experienced electrocution injury lawyer. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of an electrocution accident, contact the Law Offices of Bryan Musgrave today. We can determine which parties should be named as defendants in a lawsuit, and we will use our many years of experience and expertise to recover full and fair compensation.