The Most Experienced Electrocution Accident Lawyer in Michigan
For more than 35 years, Electrocution Lawyers has helped people whose lives were changed by electric shock and fatal electrocution accidents. Jeff Feldman and Chris Stombaugh have handled more of these cases than almost any other personal injury lawyer in the United States. Few attorneys have won as many multi-million dollar results for their clients as Jeff and Chris. They are among the most experienced electrocution accident lawyers in Michigan and across the country.
Here are two of their recent case results:
- Nearly $15 million settlement for electrical injuries from an industrial workplace accident
- $13.5 million wrongful death settlement for a family who lost a loved one in an electrical fire
Jeff and Chris have won cases in many states. They stand up to powerful utility companies, insurance companies, and corporations that put profits before safety.
Their success comes from their experience, knowledge of electrical injuries and engineering, and their personal care for each client. That’s why many people turn to Jeff and Chris for electrocution and electric shock cases in Michigan and nationwide.
Their strong track record is also shown in the honors they’ve earned. Jeff has received the highest rating for legal skill and ethics from Martindale-Hubbell. Both Jeff and Chris have been named Super Lawyers, a recognition given to only the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state.
Jeff and Chris are the electrocution lawyers you want for your Michigan case.
What Happens If A Loved One Dies In An Electrocution Accident?
If you lose a loved one in an electrocution accident in Michigan, you and the surviving members of your family may be able to hire a lawyer to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the persons, entities, and businesses who negligently caused your loved one’s death.
Generally, you and the other family members may be able to recover pain and suffering compensation and noneconomic damages for loss of your loved one’s companionship, consortium and society. The economic damages that you may be able to recover in a wrongful death claim include loss of your loved one’s financial support and compensation for medical, burial and funeral expenses under Michigan’s wrongful death statute.
Can Power and Utility Companies Be Held Liable?
Our electrocution accident lawyers know that power and utility companies may be held liable for electrocution accidents in Michigan if their negligence caused or contributed to the accident and the resulting injuries or death. The state law requires first showing these companies were negligent and breached their duty to exercise reasonable care to keep someone safe from electricity.
Generally, this duty means that power and electrical utility companies must inspect and repair wires, equipment, and other components of its electrical infrastructure to discover and remedy any hazards or defects.
In Michigan, the Michigan Supreme Court in its 1993 landmark decision in Schultz v. Consumers Power Company ruled that:
- A “power company has an obligation to reasonably inspect and repair wires and other instrumentalities in order to discover and remedy hazards and defects.”
- “Compliance with the [National Electric Safety Code] or an industry-wide standard is not an absolute defense to a claim of negligence.
- “Electric companies must exercise ordinary care to guarantee that equipment is kept in reasonably safe condition.”
- “Although we do not follow a rule of absolute liability, the defendant’s duties to inspect and repair involve more than merely remedying defective conditions actually brought to its attention.”
- “While it may be evidence of due care, conformity with industry standards is not conclusive on the question of negligence where a reasonable person engaged in the industry would take additional precautions under the circumstances.”
How Does An Electrocution Accident Lawyer Prove Negligence In Your Michigan Case?
Proving negligence in an electrocution accident case in Michigan requires a lawyer to demonstrate that: (1) the defendant owed a duty of care to the victim, (2) the defendant breached that duty through negligent actions or omissions, and (3) the defendant’s breach of its duty caused injury, harm, damages and possibly death to the plaintiff as a result.
To prove negligence when the defendant is a power or electrical utility company, you must show:
- The defendant power company owed a duty to the plaintiff;
- The power company breached that duty;
- The power company’s conduct was a cause-in-fact of the plaintiff’s injuries;
- The power company’s substandard conduct was a legal cause of plaintiff’s injuries; and
- The plaintiff suffered actual damages
Can I File A Lawsuit?
You are able to file a lawsuit against the negligent party, businesses, corporations, or electrical utility companies or power companies if you’ve satisfied the legal elements above to recover pain and suffering compensation as well as noneconomic and economic damages to cover your medical bills and lost wages.
To recover compensation and damages in Michigan, your electrocution accident lawyer will need to prove in your lawsuit that the defendant was negligent and that it was the defendant’s negligence that caused the accident and your injuries.
In Michigan, if your electrocution accident happened at work and the only negligent person or entity or business is your employer – or a co-worker – then the only “lawsuit” your lawyer will be able to file is a Workers’ Compensation claim against your employer.
However, in a Workers’ Comp claim, you will be limited to recovering benefits to cover your medical expenses and to reimburse you for wages lost because your injuries prevented you from working. In Michigan, the Workers’ Comp law’s “exclusive remedy” provision prohibits injured workers from suing their employers for pain and suffering compensation.
To collect benefits under Michigan’s Workers’ Comp law, you do not need to show that your employer was at fault.
