Electric Shock Compensation Claim Solicitors

Have you or a loved one suffered an electrical injury whilst at work that wasn’t your fault?

An Electric Shock Compensation Claim will help you by compensating you for any financial damages, pain, and suffering.

Thankfully, public occurrences of electric accidents are rare. However, accidents involving electricity range from relatively minor electric shocks to incidents where people suffer a life-threatening injury caused by electrocution.

For those working closely with electricity, it is clear that the potential for risk and injury increases significantly. It is vital that employers and contractors protect workers against the potentially life-threatening effects of electrocution.

There is a legal responsibility for employers to keep a safe work environment, and in situations where there is a risk of electric shock, corners should never be cut with regards to safety measures.

Our Serious Injury Claim specialists have seen first-hand the consequences of electric shocks. These include immediate injuries such as burns, or long-term nerve damage. We’ve also helped families of those who have died from electrocution to make an Electric Shock Compensation Claim.

We’ve represented and been successful in securing injury compensation for people from all walks of life. We know how important injury compensation and rehabilitation can be when it comes to rebuilding lives and alleviating financial stress for those coming to terms with an injury, no matter how severe.

Whether you or a loved one have suffered an injury due to exposure to an electrical current while simply going about your daily business, or in a workplace environment, SDS has the experience and determination to help you claim the maximum amount for your Electric Shock Compensation Claim.

The size of our legal team and network of partner agencies means we are able to offer you expert help wherever you are in England & Wales and we handle all cases on a No Win No Fee Injury Claim basis, So there’s no financial risk to you at all, in the unlikely event of a claim proving unsuccessful.

Talk to our friendly team of expert Electric Shock Solicitors today, we will listen to what has happened and tell you how we can immediately support and help.

What are some common effects of electric shocks?

The effect an electric injury has on a person can vary due to a variety of circumstances such as the strength of the voltage, which parts of the body are in contact with the electric current, whether the person is damp or wet and the length of time the current flows or stays live.

A voltage as low as 50 volts, if applied between two parts of the body can cause an electric current to flow, since the human body is a good conductor of electricity. This current can then block the vital electric signals between the brain and the muscles which can have the following effects:

Stopping the heart from beating properly can result in cardiac arrest
Stopping the person from breathing properly
Muscle spasms can cause broken bones and fractures
Muscle, nerve, and tissue destruction
Thermal burns

Clearly, the effects of an electric accident can be extremely severe and in non-fatal cases, the recovery time from both the physical injuries and the post-traumatic stress can be long and arduous. The resulting impact on the person’s life is undoubtedly significant, which is why it is important to seek proper recompense if the accident suffered was as a result of someone else’s negligence.

Electrocution in the workplace: causes and statistics

The main hazards for humans with electricity are:

Contact with live electrical parts resulting in electric shock or burns
Electrical faults, which can cause fires
Fire or explosion in a flammable or explosive atmosphere where electricity is the source of ignition

An electrical shock at work is defined as an accident that exposes the user to a direct, live electrical current. This exposure can lead to electric shock ranging from mild to severe. A mild electric shock will likely only cause a mild tingling sensation, while a moderate shock can cause the muscles to contract, making it difficult to pull away from the electrical current.

Severe electric shocks can lead to heart failure, meaning fatal injury can often be the result of high-voltage electrocution accidents.

Due to the real danger and risk to life from electrical accidents, there are stringent workplace regulations for people whose work brings them in close contact with electricity: Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Workers must be properly trained in safe working practices with regular refresher training being required for compliance. Work tasks and areas should be properly and regularly risk assessed.

Despite the most stringent precautions, however, accidents do still happen. In fact, each year approximately 1000 accidents at work involving electric shocks are reported to the Health and Safety Executive, with around 30 of these eventually recorded as fatal.

If you or a loved one has been injured, or worse in a workplace electrical accident and you believe it was the result of someone else’s negligence, then you may be entitled to pursue compensation.

As a first step, contact our expert work injury solicitors today for a free, initial consultation. They will listen to your story and give you an honest view of whether there is a case to be answered.

How can I pursue an Electric Shock Compensation Claim?

In building a case for financial compensation one of our personal injury experts will seek to find as much evidence as possible for review by the courts to prove that there was negligence on the part of a third party i.e. an employer.

For financial damages to be awarded there has to be a liable party i.e. the party to blame and whom the court will deem liable to pay the damages. The onus is for our personal injury expert to prove that the accident was unequivocally the result of negligence.

Types of evidence that could be provided to support an Electric Shock Compensation Claim could include:

Photographic evidence
Accident book records
Witness testimonies
Medical treatment records immediately after the accident
Testimonies regarding working practices, standards, and training
PPE Guidelines
Evidence of regular and up to date PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing)

Obviously, we understand that for you this process may be traumatic and so we will approach it with the utmost sensitivity and do our best to minimise the burden on you. Inevitably though, there will be questions you will need to answer. We are confident however that you will feel like you have gained an ally and that we genuinely have your back.

At Sheldon Davidson, we are passionate about the law and justice and we make it our business to ensure that justice is done for all our clients who have suffered through no fault of their own. Once a decision is made by the court and it is confirmed that negligence played a part in the accident a sum of damages is awarded. This sum is considerate of two types of damages:

General Damages: this sum is awarded for pain, suffering, and the impact on the injured person’s everyday life looking into the future, such as being unable to pursue hobbies once enjoyed, or being able to return to a career they have worked hard to build.

Special Damages: this sum is awarded for out-of-pocket expenses and is therefore much easier to calculate. It is intended to reimburse the injured person for things such as medical costs, loss of earnings, adaptations to the home, etc. It is largely intended to put the injured person and their family back in the financial position they would have been in, had the accident not occurred.

Who can make an Electric Shock Compensation Claim?

Electricity is involved in most occupations, therefore many workers are at risk of electric injuries in the workplace. Accidents involving electricity can happen because of a variety of circumstances, such as poor workplace training or faulty equipment. You may have suffered because of an electric accident, and be entitled to an Electric Shock Compensation Claim, if you work in positions such as:

Construction workers
Machinery technician
Engineers
Office workers
Beauty technicians
Arts and Entertainment workers
Healthcare workers

This is far from an exhaustive list, and you could be entitled to make an electrocution claim for any type of workplace accident. Contact Sheldon Davidson today to find out how much compensation you could get for your Electric Shock Compensation Claim.

Does my employer have a duty of care to avoid electrical accidents?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 regulates the duties an employer has regarding the safekeeping of workers in the workplace.

Employers are generally considered to have a duty of care towards their employees to ensure all electrical hazards are identified, documented, and controlled. The person or entity in charge of the electrical equipment on the workplace must keep a record of where the electrical hazards are and who could be affected by them, as well as what precautions have been taken to mitigate their risk.

All electrical equipment should be safely installed and maintained, and only used for its intended purpose. Proper training should be provided to all staff who will be working with the electrical equipment in question as part of their job.

If you have suffered an electric injury because your employer breached their duty of care, you could be entitled to make an electrocution claim for compensation.

Should accidents be reported through RIDDOR?

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation 2013 (RIDDOR) is a legislation introduced to improve the safeguarding of at-risk workers. RIDDOR essentially requires employers and other people in charge of spaces and equipment to report work-related accidents with the potential of causing serious injuries, death, or certain industrial diseases. For example, accidents causing a work absence of more than 3 days, or overloads that cause fires or explosions require a RIDDOR report.

A RIDDOR report related to your accident can make your electrocution claim easier, as it may prove the liability of your employer. If your accident was documented through a RIDDOR report, we can value your claim quickly and effectively, and begin your electrocution compensation claim.

How much compensation can I claim for electric shock?

The value of a compensation settlement for an electric injury is based predominantly on the severity of the injuries sustained and the impact the accident has on the person’s life.

The Judicial College sets out guidelines for the compensation values of different types of injury. Needless to say, the greater the severity of the accident the more you will be compensated for your injuries.

In addition to the compensation calculated for your pain and suffering, a second figure will be determined to cover any loss of earnings, medical treatments or travel expenses etc.

An experienced personal injury solicitor will be able to grasp the full implications of your accident and incorporate both general and special damages to maximise your pay out.