When electrical injuries strike, it is always a surprise. Electricity gives no warning, and its effects are unpredictable. The damage they cause can be superficial, resulting in burns to the skin and outer body, or the damage can be profound, affecting the brain, heart, kidneys, eyes and other organs.
An electric arc can reach temperatures of 8000° Fahrenheit — hot enough to vaporize metal. When the shock is severe, it can hollow out the body, destroying vital tissues.
The Need for Compensation
Every year, about 1,000 people are electrocuted – killed by electricity. Many thousands more are seriously and permanently injured. About a fourth of deaths are caused by lightning. The remainder is caused by the commercial use of electricity.
The most common causes include:
- Fallen power lines
- Defective power tools
- Defective appliances
- Digging around buried lines
- Electrical accidents in which water plays a role
- Outlet accidents to children
At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, we represent victims of electrical injuries and surviving family members in personal injury, wrongful death, and workers’ compensation claims.
In some cases, even lightning strikes can lead to claims. More typically, our clients include utility workers, construction workers, consumers and people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong moment.
Most people who suffer electrical injuries do survive, but the injuries may be permanent. Oral cavity burns often take months to heal. Where muscle, bone or tendons are damaged, surgery is often required. Many victims must submit to months of rehab.
The Need for Compensation
For this reason, we assess the total long-term damage done to clients and the financial burden imposed by these injuries.
Since electricity became part of modern life in 1849, it has been both a blessing and a destroyer. If you or a family member has been seriously injured in an electrical accident, we invite you to call our office and discuss financial compensation.