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You’ve probably heard the saying “don’t play with fire,” but electricity can be just as dangerous, if not more so. That’s because electrocution accidents strike when you least expect them, and it only takes a few seconds of exposure to leave you with potentially lifelong injuries. An electrocution accident lawyer knows just how dangerous such accidents can be.
Electrocutions made up 7.2% of all work-related deaths in construction in 2019. About 62% of construction workers are exposed to heights, where they commonly come into contact with power lines and other hazards. In 2020, 126 workers died from electrical exposure.
If you were hurt by electricity at work, here’s what to know from an electrocution accident lawyer in New York.
Electrocution accidents may be due to:
Several laborers face an especially high risk of electrical accidents. These include:
It’s not uncommon for electrical accidents to kill victims. It only takes a few moments for electricity to pass through the body, reach the heart, and cause cardiac arrest.
Electricity often also causes painful burns, especially if your body is grounded and the current passes through your hands, feet, and head. If the current is high voltage, it can destroy muscle and nerve tissue.
As you might imagine, such injuries take months to recover from, and in some cases, you might never feel quite the same. It makes sense, then, that you’d want to hold the negligent party responsible for the suffering they caused you.
After an electrical accident, one of the first thoughts that may go through your mind is, “How am I going to afford this?” That’s a good question because medical bills for such injuries aren’t cheap.
It can be tough to know who’s liable in such cases. If a downed power line injured you, you might think the power company is responsible. However, many power companies share management of lines with cable and phone companies.
If you suffered electric shock injuries because of defective equipment, you might pin the blame on the contractor who gave it to you. But if the manufacturer knew the equipment was defective and failed to fix it, you could hold the company liable instead.
If your employer offers workers’ comp to you, as nearly all employers in New York must, this may be your main remedy for electrocution accidents. You can claim these benefits even if you were responsible for the accident.
Benefits will pay for:
Electrical accident cases can be tough to manage without legal assistance. That’s why hiring an electrocution accident lawyer who’s well versed in handling such cases in New York City is wise.
Your electrocution accident attorney will:
We can also help you learn what damages might be available to you, such as:
Workers’ compensation may provide some relief if you suffered electrocution injuries at work. Many people have no problems claiming benefits, but there’s always a chance that the New York Workers’ Compensation Board could deny your claim or pay you less than you deserve.
This can happen if you made a mistake on the application or didn’t tell your employer about the accident within 30 days. If workers’ comp denied your claim, our workers’ comp attorneys in New York can help.
If you’ve been hurt in an electrocution accident, we will help you hold negligent parties responsible and help you receive the benefits that you deserve. Contact Pyrros, Serres & Rupwani LLP, at (718) 626-7730 for a free case evaluation from our personal injury lawyers.
Electric shocks can definitely cause long-term damage. Even if you suffer a mild shock injury, you might develop arthritis and joint stiffness because of muscle damage. Electricity-related nerve damage can also cause a feeling of pins and needles or numbness in your skin. You may develop persistent migraines, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, seizures, and paralysis.
Physical injuries aren’t the only long-term damage such accidents cause. You might also feel anxious and depressed. Some people develop phobias so severe that they can’t work around electricity ever again.
The heart is often affected by electrical shock because the current can easily travel from the hands to the legs and throughout the rest of the body. If the current reaches the heart, it can cause a fatal arrhythmia.
Four common causes of electric injuries are contact with downed power lines, shock from unprotected machinery, faulty wiring installation, and electrical arc flash.
Many causes of electrical injuries can be avoided with proper training, regular inspections of work sites, and the use of safety gear.
After an electric shock, try to turn off, or get away from, the source of the electricity immediately. If you can’t do this, use a plastic or wooden tool to move the source away from the injured person.
Call 911 if the person is unresponsive. If it’s safe to approach, you should begin CPR right away. Cover any burned areas with a sterile bandage or clean cloth.
Once you have moved the person to safety, contact an electrocution accident lawyer for advice.
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