I always assumed that personal injury cases where pretty straight forward. After being in an accident, any financial losses that you suffered would be reimbursed by the liable party's insurance company. Unfortunately, things only work this way in a perfect world. In the real world, personal injury cases are extremely complex and getting the insurance company to pay a fair settlement requires the expertise of an experienced injury lawyer. Unfortunately, it took me several months to finally seek out the legal assistance I needed. As a result, I waited much longer than necessary to get the compensation I so desperately needed. During this time, I learned more about personal injury law than I ever thought I would. It is my hope that this blog will allow me to share that knowledge with you so that you can avoid making some of the same mistakes that I did.
Slips and falls are the most common job site accidents, but electrocutions are the third most common and lead to dozens of deaths a year. Electrocution injuries and deaths have fallen in recent years, but this is primarily due to higher safety standards and better safety equipment. However, if you have suffered an injury on a job site due to inadequate safety standards, you have the right to seek compensation.
Electrical Injuries
An electric shock can lead to burns and can also cause the affected to fall and suffer additional injuries. However, the injuries are most often the result of coming into contact with an electrical source. For the electric shock to cause serious damage to the body, it must be great enough to overwhelm the central nervous system or to damage internal organs.
Hospitalization
After you have suffered an electric shock, you will want to visit the hospital as soon as possible. This is not only to have your injuries treated but also to create evidence to support your version of the events. Your medical bills will be a part of the compensation that you receive for the electrocution accident. Being injured in such a way may also cause extreme agony and it may be a traumatic experience. For that reason, you may also be entitled to damages due to your pain and suffering.
Safety Standards
By suffering an electrocution accident, your workplace likely didn't follow safety guidelines. For example, areas that have more than 600 volts must be marked as "DANGER," "HIGH VOLTAGE," and " KEEP OUT." All outdoor electrical equipment must have an adequate enclosure so that workers do not accidentally come in contact with it. All live parts must be guarded to avoid accidental contact.
Occasionally, workers must work on electrical equipment as a part of their job. However, the equipment needs to be properly de-energized before being worked on. If you suffer an electrical shock while working on equipment that should have been de-energized, you'll want to discuss with your job site accident lawyer about who might be at fault.
Workers' Compensation
If you were a worker on the job site and you suffered an electrical injury, you may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits. However, electrical accidents often have several parties who are at fault. For this reason, you'll need to meet with a job site accident lawyer as soon as you have received medical treatment. Your attorney will discuss which steps you should take next to seek compensation from relevant parties.
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