Everything You Need to Know About Electrocution Injuries

Rachel Olszewski

We grow up learning to not play with electricity. For many of us, this meant no playing with an electrical outlet, or else we might be electrocuted. While being electrocuted by an electrical outlet is very unlikely, electrocution is actually incredibly deadly and is common in the workplace. Electrocutions are the sixth leading cause of workplace injury in the United States.

Electrocution injuries can be caused by various things across many professions. This has led to over 4,000 electrocution injuries every year, with over 400 being fatal regularly. You would assume that if you have been injured by electrocution, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance would cover your injury expenses. As many people have learned the hard way, this is not always the case.

So if you or someone you love has been injured by an electrocution injury, contact the injury law attorneys at Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.

What is Considered an Electrocution Injury?

An electrocution injury can be many things, but it does have to meet a minimum barrier to be considered an injury you should be compensated for. What constitutes an injury is usually something that would impede your work. Some signs that you or a loved one have suffered a bad injury:

• Severe burns
• Difficulty breathing
• Confusion
• Loss of consciousness
• Heart rhythm problems
• Muscle pain and contractions
• Seizures
• Cardiac arrest

Does Workers’ Compensation Cover Electrocution Injuries?

Thankfully, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recognized electrocution as a type of workplace injury for a long time. This means that if you suffer an electrocution injury while at work, your employer is obligated to cover the costs through workers’ compensation.

What Are Common Causes of Electrocution Injuries?

Electrocution injuries take several different forms, and if you or a loved one is going to file for workers’ compensation, you need to know how to accurately describe your injury. Your company and their insurance provider will likely look for many ways to delay or get out of paying you what you deserve. By knowing what counts as an electrocution injury, you know how to cover your bases.

Common causes of electrocution injuries include:

• Exposed wiring: This is one of the most common causes of electrocution. Damaged or exposed wiring is incredibly common, especially in housing, but can happen in any workplace.
• Powerline accidents: The most common accident involving powerlines is where ladders workers are using make contact with the powerlines. These accidents can commonly cause death and permanent injury. If someone falls from a ladder and injures themselves further that way, contact an attorney about what kind of injury this is.
• Landscaping: With so many wires and electrical outlets around the house and under the ground, it’s not uncommon to be electrocuted while landscaping.

Accidents inadvertently caused by electrocution don’t necessarily count as electrocution injuries. A powerline worker falling is an example of this, and someone hurt in an electrical fire is another. While electricity and/or electrocution may be the cause of the incident, what you or a loved one may have suffered isn’t technically an electrocution injury.

What to Do if You’re Electrocuted

You should immediately contact emergency services for help. If you experience even minor symptoms, like confusion or difficulty breathing, you should ensure you’re physically sound as soon as possible. Once you or a loved one has been seen by a doctor and understand the severity of your injury, file for workers’ compensation if you need it.

If you or a loved one’s employer denies your claim or impedes your ability to make it, contact the injury law attorneys at Scatelli Olszewski, P.C. We can help you get the compensation you deserve to treat your injury.