The dangers of electricity on the human body are serious and can include burns, muscle and nerve damage, paralysis, and even fatal heart or lung failure. Electrical current disrupts the body’s natural signals and can trigger violent muscle contractions, interfere with breathing, and stop the heart. Injuries may be as minor as tingling or small burns, or as severe as cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. The outcome depends on the strength of the current, the path it travels through the body, and the length of exposure.
If you have been injured by or if you have lost a loved one to an electrocution accident, an experienced lawyer can help you and your family protect your legal rights and ensure that you recover the best settlement possible in your case against the responsible parties.
What are the dangers of using electricity?
The dangers of using electricity include (1) electrocution causing death, (2) electrocution causing serious injury, and (3) electric shock injury. Electrical injuries can damage a person’s brain, cause burns and tissue and nerve damage, and result in post-electric shock syndrome.
How the dangers of electricity affects the body
Electricity poses serious dangers to the human body because it interferes with the body’s natural electrical system. Depending on the strength of the current, the path it takes, and the length of contact, injuries can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening emergencies.
The main dangers of electricity to the body include:
- Severe Burns – Electrical current can cause both surface burns on the skin and deep internal burns that damage muscles, tissues, blood vessels, and organs.
- Muscle Injury – Shocks often trigger violent, uncontrollable muscle contractions. This can lead to torn muscles, broken bones, or the inability to let go of the electrical source (“lock-on effect”).
- Nerve Damage – Because nerves communicate using electrical signals, outside current can disrupt or destroy nerve pathways. Victims may experience pain, numbness, weakness, or long-term neurological problems.
- Heart Failure – Even small amounts of current can disturb the heart’s rhythm, leading to irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, or sudden death.
- Breathing Problems – Electrical current can paralyze the chest muscles and diaphragm, stopping normal breathing and causing respiratory arrest.
- Secondary Injuries – Strong shocks can throw a person violently, resulting in falls, fractures, or head trauma in addition to electrical damage.
- Neurological Issues – memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and balance problems
- Psychological Effects – anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
In summary, electricity can overwhelm the body’s natural electrical signals, putting the heart, lungs, nerves, and muscles in serious danger.
What are the facors that affect the severity of electrical injuries?
The dangers of electricity on the body depend on several factors:
- Voltage and current strength – Higher voltage and stronger current increase the risk of serious injury or death.
- Path through the body – Electrical current that passes through vital organs such as the heart, lungs, or brain is far more hazardous than current that travels through an arm or leg.
- Duration of contact – The longer the body stays in contact with the electrical source, the greater the damage. Prolonged exposure can cause severe burns, nerve damage, and organ failure.
- Type of current (AC vs. DC) – Alternating current (AC), commonly used in homes and businesses, is often more hazardous than direct current (DC) because it can cause continuous muscle contractions that make it hard to let go.
- Resistance of the body – Dry skin offers more resistance, while wet or sweaty skin lowers resistance, allowing more current to pass through the body.
- Overall health of the victim – Pre-existing conditions (like heart disease) can make electrical injuries more severe and recovery more difficult.
How many volts of electrical current are dangerous?
Research has shown there is a range for how many volts of electrical current is dangerous. Some experts report that 30 volts is a conservative estimate for when voltage becomes hazardous. Other experts note that the hazard threshold could be 42 volts or even 110 volts.
It is important to remember that low voltage shocks are capable of causing serious injury.
What are the dangers of working with electricity?
The dangers of working with electricity include electrocution resulting in death or serious electric shock injury as a result of contact with energized power lines or faulty electrical equipment. Construction workers, utility linemen and employees in general can face these injuries or death working with electrical power.
Do you have a case if you suffered an electric shock injury at work?
If you suffered an electric shock injury at work, then you may have a claim for workers compensation benefits against your employer and a claim for pain and suffering compensation against any responsible third parties. Coming inton contact with electricity at work can put your body in danger causing burns, heart arrhythmias, nerve damage, muscle injuries, and even long-term complications that affect your daily life. You may also have a separate claim for pain and suffering against any third parties responsible for the accident.
What if an electrocution has caused the death of a loved one?
If the dangers of electricity have caused the death of a loved one, then you and your family may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties to recover pain and suffering compensation and other economic loss damages.
However, if your loved one was killed by an electrical accident at work, then your claim may be limited to recovering death benefits under the Workers Comp law unless other responsible, non-employer third parties can be identified. Often, inexperienced personal injury lawyers assume that the loved ones of a person killed by electrical current at work do not have any additional legal right to compensation for their loss, or that a lawsuit is barred by workers’ compensation. This is where an experienced electrocution lawyer can identify third parties and independent contractors who can be successfully held to account if they played a role in causing a person’s electrocution or shock injury at work.
Compensation for injuries caused by the dangers of electricity
There is no formula for compensation if you receive injuries suffered from an electrical accident, but several factors will play a role: (1) the nature and extent of your injuries; (2) what your medical needs are and will be in the future as you recover; (3) your pain and suffering; and (4) the experience and track record of your lawyer.
Your choice of lawyer plays a significant role in the amount of compensation you are able to recover for your electrical injuries. Insurance companies and utility companies know who the attorneys are who truly understand this area of law and know the right experts to prove wrongdoing and document a case correctly for trial.
You want an experienced electrocution lawyer on your side because electricity can cause serious danger on the body such as harm to the heart, nerves, muscles and skin, andAttorneys who are unfamiliar with this complex area of law often experience a “scorched Earth” defense from the utility company lawyers who believe they can exhaust a lawyer into settling short. A known electrocution lawyer who has an established track record of success can very often settle cases considerably faster and for more money.
Why choose our electrocution lawyers if injured in an electrical accident?
Electrical accidents are uniquely dangerous, and the dangers of electricity—including burns, nerve damage, heart problems, and muscle injuries—can have serious, long-lasting effects. If you or a loved one has suffered an electrocution in water, an electric shock, or a fatal or serious injury caused by an electrical current, you need attorneys who truly understand both the law and the severe physical risks involved.
At Electrocuted.com, you can speak directly with Jeff Feldman, widely recognized as one of the nation’s most experienced electrical accident attorneys, or Chris Stombaugh, considered one of America’s top trial lawyers. Jeff and Chris specialize in electrocution and electric shock cases, having successfully litigated matters across multiple states for families affected by faulty consumer products, negligence in construction, downed or low-hanging power lines, and defective or poorly maintained pool equipment. They also consult with injury lawyers nationwide on complex electrical accident and wrongful death cases. With Jeff and Chris on your side, you have expert advocates who understand the dangers of electricity and know how to secure the maximum recovery for you and your family.
