Electrical trauma describes the harmful injuries and potentially deadly effects of being exposed to electricity. Trauma can include both injuries caused by coming in contact with electricity and fatal electrocutions. Immediate medical attention is absolutely necessary after electrical injury and victims are entitled to compensation if due to negligence or carelessness of another.
You should also consider scheduling a free, no-cost, no-obligation consultation with an experienced electrocution lawyer. An attorney who specializes in shock injury and electrocution cases can help you and your family protect your legal rights, secure the medical care you need to heal and rebuild your life, and help you recover the best settlement possible for your electrical injuries. Such a lawyer can ensure that your injury case is being investigated as thoroughly as possible. He or she will also know how to identify all of the responsible parties that other lawyers who are not experienced with electrical injury cases can miss, and uncover all of the layers of insurance coverage that may be available to you so you can receive the fullest, fairest settlement.
What is electrical trauma?
Electrical trauma encompasses both electric shock injuries and electrocution resulting from contact with a source of electricity that sends a current of electricity through a person’s body. The electric shock victim may suffer serious, life-altering injuries. Tragically, the results are fatal for an electrocution.
What should you do if someone has suffered from trauma from an accident with electricity?
It is essential that a victim injured in an electrical accident seek immediate medical attention for their injuries even if they have none visible, such as external burns. However, before you try to help, make sure that the electricity source is turned off and/or the victim is no longer in contact with the source of electricity.
Causes of electrical trauma
The causes of injuries from electrical trauma can include contact with: (1) an overhead powerline; (2) a downed power line (and the surrounding area); (3) an arc flash; (4) exposed sources of electricity; and (5) current electricity due to faulty wiring.
Electrical trauma injuries and medical conditions
- Death
- Burns
- Tissue Damage
- Pain in the arm or limbs
- Brain injuries
- Neurological and neuropsychological injuries
- Spine injuries
- Damage to the central nervous system
- Amputation
- Post electric shock syndrome
- Loss of kidney function
- Cardiac arrest (possibly resulting from sustained contraction of the muscles that control breathing)
- Cardiac dysrhythmia (possibly resulting from sustained contraction of the muscles that control breathing)
- Central respiratory arrest (possibly resulting from sustained contraction of the muscles that control breathing)
- Asphyxia (possibly resulting from sustained contraction of the muscles that control breathing)
- Blunt trauma (injuries resulting from a fall or from being thrown by the force of the electrical current)
- Closed head injury (resulting from a fall or from being thrown by the force of the electric current)
- Bone fractures (resulting from a fall or from being thrown by the force of the electric current)
Do I have a lawsuit I suffered and electrical injury?
If you or a loved one has suffered an electrical injury as a result of an electric shock, you may be able to file a lawsuit to recover pain and suffering compensation as well as other damages such as payment of your medical bills and lost wages if your injuries have prevented you from returning to work.
Do I have a lawsuit if I suffered an electrical injury at work?
If you suffered an electrical injury as a result of an electricity-related accident at work, then you may have a claim for Workers Compensation benefits against your employer. Unfortunately, you may be limited to only a Workers’ Comp claim against your employer if your state’s Workers’ Comp law has an “exclusive remedies” provision.
However, you may still be able to bring a lawsuit for pain and suffering compensation against a negligent third-party who is neither your employer nor a co-worker.
Many general practice personal injury lawyers do not know about this “negligent third-party” exception to the “exclusive remedies” rule.
That’s why it’s so important to talk to an experienced Workers’ Comp lawyer for injuries that occur at work.
Talking to the wrong lawyer – who lacks experience in and specialized knowledge of these types of electrical injury cases – can result in your serious and legitimate case being mistakenly rejected.
Electrical trauma treatment
Treatment for electrical trauma will depend on a person’s injuries, his or her symptoms and past and present medical condition. Treatment may involve: (1) surgery; (2) physical therapy; (3) occupational therapy; (4) cognitive behavioral therapy; (5) pain medication; and (6) rehabilitation.
Do I need a lawyer?
There is no law that says you must hire a lawyer. But if you have suffered serious electrical injuries after an accident with electricity, we strongly recommend that you do. These are complex cases and experienced electrocution lawyers with a track record of success at trial can settle cases considerably faster and for more money.
However, the opposite is true if you hire a lawyer who has no experience with electrocution cases. The utility companies know who the experienced electrocution attorneys are and they know who is not afraid to go to trial.
Inexperienced attorneys who do not try electrical shock injury cases will generally experience – and succumb to – a “scorched Earth” defense from the utility company lawyers whose sole purpose is to force electrical shock victims and their inexperienced lawyers in to settling their case for substantially less than what the case is truly worth.
Get help from an experienced electric shock injury lawyer
If you or someone you love is a victim of electrical trauma or death caused by electricity, you can call and speak with Jeff Feldman, arguably the nation’s most experienced electric shock accident and electrocution attorney. Jeff has litigated electrocution cases and electric shock injury cases in multiple states for families whose loved ones were injured after electrical accidents that were caused by faulty consumer products, negligence in the building and construction industry, downed or low-hanging overhead power cables, and defective or poorly maintained pool equipment. Jeff also consults with injury lawyers throughout the country on electrical accident injury and wrongful death cases involving electricity. You can call Jeff toll free at (800) 548-0043 for a free consultation.
