Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Electric Shock Compensation Claims
If you suffer an electric shock in an accident caused by the someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim.
At The Legal Line, our specialist personal injury lawyers have a wealth of experience in recovering damages for the innocent victims of avoidable accidents. We can provide you with the best possible accident claim advice on a cost-free, confidential basis and you keep 100% of any compensation.
Electric Shocks
Who is at Risk of Electric Shock Injuries?
Effects of an Electric Shock
When Can an Electric Shock Injury Claim be Made?
Making an Electric Shock Injury Claim
Electric Shock Compensation
Our Expert Personal Injury Lawyers
Successful Electric Shock Injury Claims
Electric Shocks
An electric shock is the term used to describe an incident where an electrical current passes through a part of the body. Electric shocks do not always cause injury but they can result in varying degrees of personal injury or even death.
A fatality resulting from an electric shock is known as electrocution.
Who is at Risk of Electric Shock Injuries?
Most of us come into regular contact with electrical appliances and equipment in our day to day lives, whilst at home, at work, at school and in public places. Generally they are safe and we are protected from coming into contact with any electrical current, however if the relevant safety precautions are not taken there is a risk of electric shock, or electrocution.
It is important that electrical equipment, wiring, sockets, tools, appliances and machinery are properly maintained and kept in safe working order. Regular testing should be carried out, circuits should never be overloaded and any damaged equipment should be turned off and taken out of use. Water conducts electricity very effectively so, wherever possible, water should be kept away from anything electrical and handling electrical items with wet hands should be avoided.
In workplace situations, risk assessments should be carried out for all tasks, staff should receive any necessary job training and the risk of injury should be reduced as far as reasonably possible. If contact with electrical currents is unavoidable, personal protective equipment should always be provided.
The range of situations where an electric shock or electrocution could occur are too numerous to list here, however a few examples are listed below:
Faulty products – defective products may cause electric shock, for example if there is a design or manufacturing fault with a household item such as a hairdryer, toaster or vacuum cleaner.
Accidents at work – workers on roads and building sites may be at risk of coming into contact with underground cables if correct health and safety procedures are not followed. Contact with wiring that has not been made safe in buildings, or use of faulty work equipment, for example computers in offices, power tools, or large machinery in factories, can also result in electric shocks or electrocution.
Housing disrepair – electric shock injuries can occur when dangerous accommodation is provided by a landlord or housing association, or if sub-standard work is carried out by a contractor.
Accidents abroad – holiday accidents can occur due to electrical hazards in hotel accommodation and other facilities provided by tour operators.
Effects of an Electric Shock
The effects of an electric shock vary greatly, dependent upon the voltage the person was subjected to, the length of time they were in contact with the electrical current and the body parts affected (if a current passes through the head or chest it is more likely to cause serious harm or death). Whether or not a person is wet, for example if they are sweaty from exercise or there is water on their skin, can also have an effect on the severity of injury caused.
Some of the potential effects of an electric shock include:
• Burns – burns to the skin or deep burns to internal tissues.
• Muscle injuries - muscles often contract very forcefully as the result of an electric shock.
• Fractures and dislocations – muscle spasms can be strong enough to dislocate joints or break bones.
• Heart function disturbance
• Neurological damage
• Damage to internal organs
• Loss of consciousness
• Death
There is also the risk of additional, indirect injuries, for example if suffering an electric shock causes someone to be thrown backwards or fall and they are further injured by the fall.
Victims of electric shock injuries may only experience mild temporary discomfort, they may suffer a more significant injury but make a full recovery, or they could be left with permanent effects, such as scarring or disability.
When Can an Electric Shock Injury Claim be Made?
Not everyone who suffers an electric shock will be eligible to make a personal injury claim. In order to make a claim for compensation it is necessary to show that someone who owed you a duty of care is responsible for the harm you have suffered, either by their negligent actions or their failure to act when they should have taken steps to prevent an incident from occurring.
In an electric shock injury case, this may be an employer who failed to employ sufficient health and safety measures to prevent your accident at work, the retailer or manufacturer of a faulty product, or the owner of a private or commercial property which contained a hazard.
Our expert lawyers can assess the details of your individual case to advise if a compensation claim may be possible.
Making an Electric Shock Injury Claim
If you suffer an electric shock injury, it is important to seek prompt medical attention, both to make sure that you receive any treatment you require and also to have your injuries recorded in case you decide to make a personal injury claim. If your accident occurs at work or in a public place such as a shop, it is also important to report it so that the details can be recorded.
If you believe that you may be entitled to compensation you should seek specialist legal advice as soon as possible. Your solicitor can assist you through every stage of the process and ensure that your case is brought to the best possible conclusion.
Your claim will be made against the responsible party (i.e. the person or company that caused your injury). Most often the claim is put forward to their insurance company, who will negotiate with your solicitor to come to a satisfactory settlement of compensation. In some cases, if liability is denied or both parties cannot agree on a suitable amount of damages, it may be necessary to pursue the case via court proceedings. This will only be undertaken if your solicitor feels that the case has good prospects of success.
Electric Shock Compensation
If your electric shock claim is successful, and our solicitors will work hard to ensure that this is the case, you will be entitled to two elements of a compensation award.
The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you have gone through and any loss of amenity (for example an inability to drive, look after your garden, walk the dog). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after an accident or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.
The second element of a compensation award, for your losses and expenses, is known as special damages and aims to put you back in a position financially as if the accident had never occurred. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to the rail accident so that these can be reclaimed.
In serious cases, you may no longer be able to continue in your employment. This can be taken into account when damages are calculated. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also affect the calculations. If you are still able to work but not in the same role as before an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’, particularly if you held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that your prospects on the open labour market may be limited.
Our Expert Personal Injury Lawyers
We have a network of offices throughout the UK and our lawyers have extensive experience in electric shock injury compensation claims.
The Legal Line can provide you with specialist advice on your potential case and assist you through every step of the claims process.
Successful Electric Shock Injury Claims
We have made successful personal injury compensation claims on behalf of many clients suffering from electric shock injuries. Details of some of these cases can be found in our personal injury news and client stories sections, or by following the links below:
Employee Left With Permanent Shoulder Injury From Accident at Work
Compensation for Employee Injured by Electric Shock at Work
Employee Makes Injury Claim for Electric Shock at Work
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