Many workers are exposed to electricity as part of their jobs. Electric accidents can have catastrophic and life-altering consequences for workers and their families. Workers may sustain severe injuries, financial losses, pain, and suffering because of an electrocution accident at work. If you were injured in an electrocution accident at work, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation.
However, obtaining the benefits you deserve might not be easy. Your employer and the workers’ compensation insurance company might downplay your injury. They may deny your claim and refuse to pay workers’ comp benefits. If you suffered electrical injuries on the job in Georgia, you deserve to receive all the workers’ comp benefits provided by law.
At Parsons Law Group, our Georgia workers’ compensation lawyers fight tirelessly to obtain the benefits and compensation you are entitled to receive after a work-related electrocution accident. Call today to schedule your free consultation with one of our experienced Georgia electrocution accident lawyers.
How Can Parsons Law Group Help You After an Electrocution Accident at Work in Georgia?
Working with electricity can be hazardous. Employees who work directly with electricity daily, such as construction workers and electricians, have a high risk of experiencing an electric shock. However, other workers may have an electrocution accident indirectly because of an electrical hazard at work.
Regardless of your job, you could sustain devastating burns and life-threatening injuries because of an electrocution accident. If so, you need an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer to guide you through the process of filing claims and obtaining benefits and compensation for injuries.
Our workers’ compensation team at Parsons Law Group has considerable experience handling electrocution accident claims. When you hire our Georgia electrocution accident lawyers, you can expect us to:
- Explain your rights regarding a workers’ compensation claim and third-party personal injury claims
- Investigate the cause of your electrocution accident and identify who is responsible for your damages
- Stand up to your employer and the workers’ comp insurance company, especially when they refuse to act in good faith
- Determine the benefits you are entitled to under workers’ comp law and fight to obtain those benefits
- Negotiate for a fair settlement for impairments and disabilities
- Litigate your case in court if that is necessary to protect your rights
Our experienced Georgia workers’ compensation lawyers at Parsons Law Group have recovered over $100 million for injured workers. Our led attorney, J. Michael Parsons, has over 27 years of legal experience.
Our attorneys understand the challenges in workers’ compensation claims and how to use mediation and negotiation to obtain a fair outcome. However, we never back down from a fight and will take your case to court if necessary.
Contact Parsons Law Group to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced electrocution accident attorney in Georgia.
Electrocution Accidents
Most of us have experienced the jolt of a mild electric shock on occasion, but electrocution accidents are all too common on worksites and can cause a lot of damage to the human body. Construction sites offer many hazards for workers, who may be electrocuted due to a variety of causes such as faulty wiring or improperly grounded lines. If you’ve suffered the pain of an electrocution and are thinking of filing a claim, let Georgia’s workers’ compensation attorneys help you get the payment you deserve.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] there were 1,322 deaths caused by electrocution in the workplace between 2011 and 2022. Electricians are obviously at high risk for electrocution, but the second highest rates are found in the construction industry in general, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation.
Common Causes of Electrocution Accidents
There are two types of electrocution (fatal and non-fatal), and it typically occurs for a number of reasons, generally:
- Faulty wiring
- Contact with power lines
- Defective products
Sometimes accidents happen because power lines are buried and workers don’t realize they are going to make contact, for instance with a shovel. Faulty wiring in houses, especially older ones, can cause accidents when a worker touches the line during demolition. Overhead power lines can be dangerous too if they are “live” (conducting energy), and if, for instance, a ladder hits them the person on the ladder may be electrocuted.
Avoiding typical accident scenarios is not difficult. Utility companies may be contacted to determine the location of buried power lines. It’s smart to assume all overhead lines are live and to stay at least 10 feet from them. Using wood or fiberglass ladders may help. Using gloves to insulate hands from internal home wiring helps.
Injuries and Health Impacts of Electrocution Accidents
Unfortunately, it’s easy for electricity to pass through the human body. It often does terrible damage to the heart, muscles, or brain. Below are the most common kinds of injury seen in electrocution victims:
- Destruction of nerve and muscle tissue
- Heart attack (from interference with the heart’s electrical signals)
- Burns to the skin from direct contact
- Injury from a fall after contact is made (broken bones)
Sometimes it’s difficult to detect the serious internal damage caused by electrocution. Symptoms may also be so common (irregular heartbeat, headache, numbness/tingling) that they are not recognized as being a result of electrocution. There may also be issues with alertness, seizures, and/or issues with vision or hearing.
Health effects may be mild or severe. They may be mild at first and then progress.
The Aftermath of an Electrocution Accident at Work
After you experience any kind of electric shock, be aware of the potential for severe damage, and go to the Emergency Room. It’s a good idea to go ahead and file a report of the injury right away, in case you need to file a workers’ comp claim later.
Contact an Atlanta and Savannah Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Call us if you need to take more than a week from work, and we will give you your options regarding filing a workers’ compensation claim. At Parsons Law Group, our Georgia workers’ compensation lawyers are here to fight for your rights while you focus on your continued recovery.