It’s important to act quickly when hiring a lawyer to handle your case. The defendant in this type of action, especially if it’s a utility company, has an early advantage as it is often the first on the scene of the electrical accident, along with its team of lawyers and investigators who are there to protect the company’s interests. The utility company and its team will make quick determinations as to what evidence is important and what can be disposed of, potentially causing you to lose critical evidence that would help you prove negligence and win a significant settlement.
An experienced electrocution lawyer with the resources and expertise to go toe to toe with deep-pocketed utility companies can protect you from such serious and negligent defense tactics.
A skilled lawyer will head straight to where the accident happened to document it and preserve critical evidence. Your lawyer will also engage with top experts in the fields of safety, electrical engineering, and damages to prove negligence and boost the value of your case.
Attorneys Jeff Feldman and Chris Stombaugh specialize exclusively in helping people who have been injured or lost loved ones in electrocution and electric shock accidents. They have tried more electrocution cases than most other injury lawyers in the country. They also have a proven track record of winning multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of their clients.
What happens at the scene of an electrical accident?
When an electrical accident happens, the first thing a witness typically does is call 9-1-1 to get first responders to come to the scene where the accident took place. When that call comes in, the first call the 9-1-1 dispatcher makes is generally not to first responders, but rather to the utility company, asking them to turn off the power.
As a result, the utility company, along with its lawyers and investigators, is usually first to the electrical accident scene, even before first responders have had a chance to help the victim.
What this means is that, in addition to turning off the power, the utility company and its legal team are in prime position to control the scene of the electrical accident and decide what evidence will be important to defend its interests. Evidence may be altered or even destroyed to favor the utility company – long before the victim’s family is even notified of the accident.
This is why it’s critically important to consult with an experienced electricity accident lawyer immediately after an accident. When your lawyer goes to the scene, he will focus on documenting key evidence by taking pictures and videos, measuring distances, identifying potential hazards, and interviewing witnesses in order to establish the cause of the accident and assess liability, often with the help of top electrical experts. Your lawyer can then shift the narrative back in your favor and level the playing field.
What is considered important evidence from the electrical accident scene?
Important evidence from the scene of an electrical accident includes:
- Photos and videos of the electrical accident scene
- Injury photos
- Witness statements
- Damaged equipment
- Debris related to the accident
- The victim’s interview statement
- An incident report
- Safety inspection reports
- Maintenance and safety reports
How can an expert witness help my case?
An expert witness can help you prove your case by providing expert testimony about critical issues related to the electrical accident scene such as power infrastructure, power line inspection, maintenance and repairs, violations of the safety requirements in the NESC and NEC as well as medical treatment and recovery.
To be qualified to testify as an expert witness, he or she must meet certain requirements pursuant to Rule 702 of the Michigan Rules of Evidence and the Federal Rules of Evidence. A court will only allow expert testimony to be admitted into evidence if it finds that the expert’s findings and opinions are “more likely than not” to meet the following requirements:
- The expert witness’s “scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge” will help the judge or jury “understand the evidence or determine a fact in issue.”
- The expert’s testimony is “based on sufficient facts or data.”
- His or her findings and opinions are “the product of reliable principles and methods.”
- The expert’s testimony “reflects a reliable application of the principles and methods to the facts of the case.”
Who could be liable for an electrocution accident?
Potentially liable parties include:
- The utility company – If the injury resulted from aging infrastructure, a downed power line, etc.
- A third party/contractor – If the injury was caused by a third party’s negligence, such as the improper installation of an electrical system
- The property owner – If the injury resulted from a hazardous condition on someone else’s property
- A manufacturer – If the injury was caused by faulty electrical equipment
- An employer – If the injury happened in the course of a worker’s employment and was caused by his or her employer’s actions
How can a lawyer help me with my electricity accident case?
When an electricity accident happens, the defendant has the early advantage, especially when the defendant is the utility company, which is often the first party notified of the accident. When the utility company is notified, it will proceed directly to the scene, along with its legal and investigative team, to assess the electrical accident and gather and take evidence it deems important to its interests. This puts the victim at a significant disadvantage, especially in a complex and highly-specialized area of law such as electricity litigation.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can level the playing field by hiring an experienced electrocution lawyer who specializes in this area of law and knows how to hold the utility company accountable for your injuries.
An experienced electrocution lawyer will:
- Conduct a full investigation of the accident, including (1) taking photos and videos; (2) interviewing witnesses; (3) identifying potential hazards; (4) measuring distances; and (5) gathering and preserving key evidence that will prove your case.
- Hire top experts with specialized knowledge in electrical engineering, power infrastructure, electrical safety, economics, and medicine and rehabilitation, to prove negligence, assess damages, and maximize your financial recovery
- Identify all insurance policies and financial assets to ensure that your settlement will be fully funded
- Take your case to trial if the insurance company does not make an offer that reflects the full value of your case
