Electrocution accidents commonly result in catastrophic consequences for injured people and their loved ones. These consequences include severe to potentially fatal injuries, costly medical bills, lost income, and psychological trauma. The human body is highly receptive to electrical currents, which is what makes electrocution injuries severe. Common electrocution accident injuries include:
- Chemical or thermal burns
- Organ damage
- Nerve injuries
- Brain injuries
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Paralysis
- Cardiovascular problems
- Seizures
Your options for getting financial compensation after an electrocution accident will be based on the specific circumstances of the accident.
What Are My Legal Options After Getting Injured in a South Florida Electrocution Accident?
You might be able to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation following an electrocution accident. You might have grounds for a lawsuit against a utility or power company if you were electrocuted after coming in contact with a faulty power line. Utility and power companies owe a legal duty of care to everyone, which includes properly installing and maintaining power lines. Failure to do these things is a violation of their legal duty. When this happens, they can be held financially responsible for injuries and other damages caused by the hazardous conditions resulting from their failure.
You can also sue for negligence if you were electrocuted by a power line that became hazardous because of a natural disaster or a third party. For instance, if the power line fell and somehow injured you. You may hold them liable if they knew of the potentially dangerous situation but did not repair it promptly.
If the electrocution accident happened at work, you can recover compensation through your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage or a personal injury claim or a wrongful death suit against a third party. Based on a recent report by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), 44% of workers who were killed in electrocution accidents are in the extraction and construction industries, while 20% are involved in repair, maintenance, and installation.
If you got electrocuted due to malfunctioning electrical wiring in your own home or someone else’s property, you may have a claim against the property’s builder or owner. If applicable, you may also have a claim against the electrician that performed the electrical work on the property.
You might be able to bring a product liability lawsuit if the electrocution accident occurred due to a defective product. In this scenario, you may seek compensation from the product manufacturer. Also, if the accident involved a waterproof electric product, you may pursue compensation from the product manufacturer, designer, or merchant.
In some particularly severe electrocution accidents, people die right away from electrocution or succumb to fatal injuries. If your loved one lost their life in an electrocution accident, your family might have a wrongful death claim against the liable party. The purpose of this claim is to seek a damages award that will cover the deceased’s medical expenses, funeral expenses, lost earnings, loss of companionship, and mental anguish, among others.
Reach Out to Our South Florida Electrocution Accident Attorney Now
Whether you were injured in an electrocution accident at home, work, or another party’s property, you deserve fair compensation to deal with your electrocution injuries and related damages. Our South Florida electrocution accident attorney can help you with your workers’ comp claim, figure out which party should be held liable for your injuries, identify all possible sources of compensation, negotiate with insurers, and represent you in court.
Call the office of Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa now at 561-478-2500 or fill up our online contact form to arrange a free consultation with our South Florida electrocution accident attorney and explore the best legal recourse for your situation.