
An electric shock lawsuit is intended to compensate a victim for his or her injuries, harms, and losses so that the victim is in the same position, both medically and financially, that he or she would have been in had the victim not suffered an electric shock injury.
The compensation won through an electric shock lawsuit can cover a victim’s pain and suffering, medical bills and expenses, and lost wages when a victim’s injuries prevent the victim from returning to work.
If you have suffered an electric shock injury or you have been injured by electricity, you may be able to file an electric shock lawsuit for pain and suffering compensation and economic losses, for workers’ comp benefits, or for wrongful death damages.
Can I file an electric shock lawsuit?
You may be able to file an electric shock lawsuit if you have suffered an electric shock injury or if you lost a loved one due to electrocution. The compensation and damages you may be entitled to recover will depend on the laws of your state, your injuries, medical bills, and whether the injury occurred at work.
Electric shock at work: can I sue?
There are many factors that come into play as to whether you can file an electric shock lawsuit after an electrical injury at work or being electrocuted at work. Those factors include: (1) the laws of your state; (2) whether you were an employee or independent contractor; and (3) the liability of potential third parties and contractors whose negligence caused your electric shock injury.
I got shocked at work
If you are an employee and you got shocked at work, then it is likely that the “exclusive remedy” provision of your state’s Workers’ Compensation law will prevent you from suing your employer for pain and suffering compensation, limiting your recovery against your employer to medical benefits and lost wages.
However, if you were an independent contractor—not an employee—when you got shocked at work, then you may be able to file an electric shock lawsuit against the business that hired you.
Regardless of whether you were an employee or an independent contractor, you may be able to file a claim for pain and suffering compensation against any responsible third parties whose negligence caused and/or contributed to your injury.
A family member or loved one got electrocuted at work
If your family member or loved one who got electrocuted at work was an employee, then it is likely that the “exclusive remedy” provision of the Workers’ Compensation law in the state where your loved one was electrocuted at work will prevent you and your family from suing his or her employer for wrongful death.
Your recovery against your loved one’s employer after his or her work-related electrocution will be limited to worker’s compensation death benefits that will generally cover lost wages that the employee’s dependents would have relied on for support. Benefits may also cover funeral expenses.
However, if your loved one was an independent contractor—not an employee—when he or she got electrocuted at work, then your family may be able to file an electric shock lawsuit for wrongful death against the business that hired your loved one.
Regardless of whether your loved one was an employee or an independent contractor, your family may be able to file an electric shock lawsuit for wrongful death against any responsible third parties whose negligence caused and/or contributed to your electrical injury.
Average electric shock settlement amount
Unfortunately, there is no public or private entity—at either the state or the national level—that collects, updates, reports, and/or publishes data about the average electric shock settlement amount. This is where the experience, reputation, and knowledge of your electrocution attorney really matter most.
If you want to find out how much your electric shock settlement is worth, you can call us for a free consultation with one of our experienced electrocution attorneys.
How much compensation for electric shock?
How much compensation for electric shock that you may be able to recover in your electric shock settlement depends on such factors as (1) your injuries; (2) your current and future medical needs; (3) whether you are disabled from working; (4) your pain and suffering; and (5) your lawyer’s experience, track record, and reputation.
Your choice of lawyer is particularly important when it comes to your electric shock settlement amount. Insurance companies and utility companies keep tabs on attorneys, and they know what attorneys go to trial and which ones don’t—and which ones “settle cases short.”
The bottom line is that attorneys who are known for going to trial can obtain an electric shock settlement for more money and often much faster.
Who are the liable parties that can be sued in an electric shock lawsuit?
If you suffered an electrical injury or electrocution in a non-work setting, then you can name any liable party as a defendant in your electric shock lawsuit for pain and suffering compensation and other damages. However, if an employee’s injury or electrocution occurred at work, then there are fewer potentially liable third parties.
In fact, the third parties (who do not include an employee’s employer or a co-worker) who may be sued for an electrocution at work that results in death or injury may include:
- Companies and/or contractors who were involved in the inspection, maintenance, and repair of utility power lines, utility poles, utility pole tops, and utility pole top facilities (such as devices, hardware, attachments, braces, insulators, pins, insulator ties, crossarms, and transformers)
- The manufacturer, seller, or distributor of the power line at issue
- The company that designed or manufactured a defective component on a utility line, pole, or structure
Get help from an experienced electric shock injury lawyer
If you or someone you love suffered an injury to the heart from an electrical accident, you can call now at (844) 648-2411 and speak with Jeff Feldman, arguably the nation’s most experienced electrocution accident attorney. Jeff has litigated electrocution cases and electric shock injury cases in multiple states for families whose loved ones were injured or killed by electric shock, such as 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 electric shock injury and wrongful death cases involving electricity. You can call Jeff toll-free at (844) 648-2411 for a free consultation.