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  • Electric Shock & Electrocution Claims

Electric Shock & Electrocution Claims

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If you work closely with electricity, it’s vital that your employer protects you against the potentially devastating effects of an electric shock injury. Employers have a legal duty to safeguard their workers – corners should never be cut when it comes to electrical safety.

Our solicitors could help you make a compensation claim if you’ve suffered an electric shock injury. Common examples of negligence include your employer

  • Asking you to carry out electrical work that you're not qualified to do
  • Failing to provide you with the appropriate safety gear or electrical testing equipment
  • Failing to carry out preventative maintenance
  • Power surges
  • Improper earthing or exposed electrical wiring
  • Water damage and other liquids such as jet washing or in the catering industry where there is regular cleaning.

We’ve witnessed first-hand the consequences of electric shocks. These include immediate injuries such as burns, injuries from being thrown from height by electric current, irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrest, or long-term nerve damage. We’ve also helped families of workers who have died from electrocution to claim compensation.

Most of the claims we handle are funded on a no win no fee basis, which means there’s no financial risk to you*.

We’ve represented thousands of people with workplace injury claims, so we know how important compensation and rehabilitation can be when it comes to rebuilding lives. With offices across the country, we’re able to help you wherever you are.

Call us free on 0800 056 4110 or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation about your claim.

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Electric shock claims - more information

After you’ve contacted us, we’ll set up a free initial consultation to discuss your electric shock accident and whether you have a legal claim. We’ll discuss what funding options are available to you to pay for your claim, including no win no fee agreements*.

We’ll then get in touch with those responsible for your accident, perhaps your workplace or contractors responsible for electrical work, to see if they accept the blame for your injuries. If they accept responsibility, we’ll try to secure interim compensation payments which can fund private medical care and ongoing expenses, before your claim fully settles. Any interim payments will be taken out of your final compensation award.

Our lawyers will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence from independent medical professionals and health and safety specialists. These experts will analyse why your electrocution happened and can determine any future implications to your health. They’ll also advise us on the care you’ll need in the future and any precautions that need to be implemented in your workplace.

We’ll always try and negotiate claims out of court, keeping the claim process as short as we can. However, if your employer doesn’t accept responsibility or doesn’t agree with the amount of compensation we feel you need, we’ll start court proceedings.

Even when trial dates have been set, claims are still often settled before reaching court. If your claim does need to go to court, we’ll be there to help you every step of the way, talking you through what will happen so you feel as comfortable as possible.

Read more about what happens if your case goes to court.

Compensation for electric shocks can make a real difference to your life, ensuring that you can access the healthcare and support to make the best recovery you can. By making a claim with us, we can get you funds which can help pay for:

  • Private healthcare treatment
  • Physiotherapy
  • Psychological therapy
  • Expenses (such as travel costs to hospital appointments)
  • Loss of income
  • Household adaptations

The amount of compensation you receive will depend on the severity of the electrocution and any injuries received. We’ll seek expert opinions on what care you’ll need to ensure that the compensation we claim will be sufficient.

If your employer accepts responsibility for your accident, we could help you get early compensation payments. Often known as interim payments, these funds will be taken from your final settlement and can help pay for ongoing care costs and expenses, before your claim has settled.

We could help you make a claim if you’ve suffered an electric shock injury in the workplace, whether you’re an employee, a contractor, a member of the public or a visitor.

Even if you’re a casual worker or self-employed, you might still be considered as an employee under UK law, giving you the same rights as other workers when it comes to health and safety.

If you’re an agency worker who has suffered an electric shock, both the agency you work for and the owners of the business should take responsibility for your safety. They should work together to make sure that precautions are in place to protect you.

We can also help with claims being made on behalf of others including:

  • On behalf of a child who has been in an accident before their 18th birthday
  • For someone who doesn’t have the mental capacity to handle their own case
  • On behalf of a loved one who has unfortunately passed away

If you’ve sadly lost a loved one in a workplace accident, we can help you with:

  • Recovering compensation for their pain and suffering, to account for financial losses caused by their death and to cover funeral expenses
  • Representing you at inquest
  • Getting you the answers and apology you deserve from those responsible

Our lawyers could also help you access a statutory bereavement award, a flat rate of £15,120 which is provided when a wrongful death has occurred. This is available if you’re the spouse, civil partner or parent (if under 18) of the person who died.

You normally have three years to make a claim from the date of your accident. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:

  • Under 18s – you can claim on behalf of a child who was on work experience or working part-time. No time limits apply in these circumstances until the child turns 18. When the child turns 18 they can make their own claim but the three year time limit will then apply.
  • Mental capacity – you can make a claim on behalf of someone who doesn’t have the ability to do so themselves, including when someone has suffered a serious head/brain injury as a result of their accident. In these circumstances, no time limits apply.
  • Fatal claims – if you’re claiming on behalf of a loved one who died, you’ll either have three years from the date of their death or the date of the accident to make a claim.

If you have any concerns about the time limits for claiming compensation, we’ll be able to talk through your options in a free initial consultation.

Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.

At the start of your claim, we’ll discuss the funding options available, advising you which we think is the most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI), or can access support through trade union membership, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household and car insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.

If we think you’re best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we’ll explain the process clearly. This involves setting up an insurance policy that will protect you, at no cost to you. You’ll only have to pay anything when your claim is successful – your opponent will pay most of our fees.

Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.

We have experienced solicitors based across the country who specialise in helping people to claim compensation after accidents at work. We know the issues that you and your loved ones may be facing, and we can answer all of your questions in plain English.

As well as helping you claim compensation, we can also help with your rehabilitation and recovery. If you can’t work because of your injuries, then we can also advise you on benefit entitlement and arrange for the best possible support to help you recover.

Having helped many other clients who have suffered from electric shock injuries, we can use our experience to get a positive outcome for you and your family.

Meet the team

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I will always hold Irwin Mitchell in the highest of regard. Best decision I ever made to choose them. Thank you."

Stuart, client

Frequently asked questions

What Types Of Electric Shock Injury Can You Claim For?

Although electric shocks can happen anywhere, certain areas of work see a higher rate of accidents. These include electrical installations, component manufacture and the construction industry.

Electric shock injuries are often caused by:

  • Defective manufacturing of electrical goods or components
  • Flash burns from electrical explosions due to shorting/overload
  • Contact with live components that should have been guarded

Your employer has a responsibility to minimise the risk of you suffering an electric shock injury, whether this means supplying you with protective equipment or making sure that electrical goods are regularly checked for defects and deterioration.

If you’ve suffered from electric shock due to employer negligence, our workplace accident experts could help you make a claim. Call us on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial chat about your case.

What Constitutes Employer Negligence?

Your employer has a duty to take reasonable steps to protect you from harm if you’re working with or around electricity. A breakdown in health and safety procedures can have devastating consequences.

Electric shock claims often involve a failure on the part of the employer to:

  • Carry out a risk assessment
  • Use up to date maps of power cables
  • Check the qualifications of employees – only fully qualified electricians should work with electricity
  • Provide safety equipment – for example gloves, boots and electrical testing devices
  • Undertake preventative maintenance

We’ll thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your accident, working out what went wrong and how your employer should have prevented it. By starting a claim, you can help make sure that the same mistakes aren’t made again.

To find out more, please phone one of our legal advisers on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation or contact us online.

What Are The Effects Of An Electric Shock Injury?

Electric shocks happen when an electrical current passes through the body, heating up the tissue along its path. Depending on the voltage and the length of time that someone is exposed to the electricity, it can have serious immediate effects, including:

  • Breathing problems
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Muscle spasms
  • Severe full thickness burns

Long term consequences of an electric shock can also be severe, including:

  • Nerve damage (we secured £15,000 for a man who suffered nerve damage in an electric shock accident)
  • Persistent pain
  • Psychological damage
  • Scars

We’ll work hard to make sure that the effects – short and long term – of your electric shock injury are considered when working out the amount of compensation we think you’ll need. We’ll help you access any treatment you may require to overcome your injuries, including specialist care and psychological support.

Fatal Electrocution Cases

In the most extreme cases, people die as a result of electrocution. If a loved one has passed away in a workplace accident, our solicitors could represent you, helping you seek compensation for your loss. We’re an experienced and sensitive presence at inquest, guiding you through the process and supporting your search for answers.

Read More FAQs

Related information - electric shock claims

Employment Our employment lawyers could help you defend your rights at work
Defective Work Equipment Claims Our team could help if you’ve been injured by faulty equipment
Great Adaptations Find out how home adaptations can improve your independence after a serious injury
Construction Accident Claims We’ve represented many people who were injured in construction accidents

Scottish Flag All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.

 

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