High Voltage Electrocution Injury Attorneys in Raleigh, NC

Electrocution can cause electrical burns or disrupt the body’s electric signals, which control functions of the brain, heart, other major organs and the nervous and muscle systems. Electrocution may result in severe injury or death caused due to electric current passing through the body.

People suffer electrocution injuries when they come into contact with electrical current, often because of malfunction in electrical equipment or appliances, or negligent installation of electrical infrastructures, such as power lines. An electrocution accident can occur in the home or workplace or while on others’ property, such as a retail store or construction site. Many electrocutions are workplace accidents.

The electrocution injury lawyers at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., help the victims of electrical shock injuries seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses. We are ready to help you pursue compensation in a personal injury or wrongful death claim or pursue a workers’ compensation claim if your electrocution injury or your loved one’s electric shock injury occurred at work.

Here are a few reasons to choose Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks after an electrocution accident:

Our attorneys and staff make client service a priority.
We have a long, successful history as legal advocates for injured people in North Carolina.
We are a team of professionals committed to helping victims of electrocution injuries.
Stability has been a hallmark of our firm, and many members of our staff have dedicated their careers to our firm and our clients.
Our team of experienced attorneys includes two Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law — Chip Younce and David E. Vtipil.
We have English- and Spanish-speaking staff members and attorneys.
We’ll review your electrocution accident and injuries and explain your legal options at absolutely no cost to you. Even if you don’t select Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, you will come away from the consultation with a clearer understanding of your legal rights and options.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recover compensation for losses associated with an electrocution injury accident.

What Happens When You Get Electrocuted?

Electrical energy is extremely hot and fast. Think about a bolt of lightning. If a person comes into contact with electricity, it can burn the skin in less than a second. Because our bodies conduct electricity, electrical current can damage internal tissue, organs and bodily functions. An electrocution accident can cause death. Often, the term “electrocution” refers to death via electric shock.

The longer a person is in contact with electricity or the higher the voltage of the electrical current, the more damage or severe the injury. Electrocution can interfere with our body’s electric signals and disrupt heart rhythms and signals to the brain.

A person who comes into contact with alternating current (AC) may experience muscle and nerve contractions that cause the person to tightly grip the object delivering the electrical shock. This is known as a sustained contraction, or “the let-go phenomenon.” It will last as long as contact with the electrical current continues. In most cases, the force of an electrical charge and the burning sensation cause the victim to immediately recoil.

Because water conducts electricity, body parts such as major organs are more susceptible to damage from electrocution. Wet skin is even more conductive, which is why there’s a greater risk of electrical shock and injury when swimming or while around bodies of water or in the rain.

Common Causes of Electric Shock Injuries

Among the common sources for contact with an electrical current are:

Faulty electrical products, such as appliances and power tools
Damaged or frayed cords
Overloaded electrical outlets or power strips
Faulty or deteriorated electrical wiring
Improperly grounded wires
Broken power lines
Contact with power lines while working at elevations
Faulty or damaged industrial equipment.

In addition to severe pain, an electrical shock or high voltage electrocution can cause the following effects:

Electrical or arc burns
Muscle spasms
Difficulty breathing
Confusion
Unconsciousness
Organ damage, including cardiac arrest or brain injury
Secondary injury from falls or a fire (thermal burns, respiratory damage from smoke inhalation)
Death.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) says contact with or exposure to electric current accounts for 2.6% of workplace fatalities.

In 2017, 54% of all fatal electrical injuries in the workplace occurred in the construction industry. The second leading industry for electrical fatalities was professional and business services with 15% of fatal workplace electrocutions in 2017.

The industries with the most nonfatal electrical injuries in 2017 were:

Construction (16%)
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (15%)
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (13%)
Manufacturing (12%).

Workers’ Compensation for Electric Shock and Electrocution Injuries

If you suffer an electrical shock injury while on the job in North Carolina, you are covered by workers’ compensation insurance in most types of employment. Workers’ comp is no-fault insurance that should pay all of your medical bills and a portion of lost salary and wages, regardless of who caused the electrical accident that injured you.

Additional benefits are available for workers who suffer permanent injuries to one or more parts of the body, as well as for workers who are deemed “totally and permanently disabled” because of the damage of an electrical shock injury.

In cases of fatal electrocution accident in a workplace, the worker’s surviving spouse and/or dependent children should receive a workers’ compensation death benefit, as well as reimbursement for funeral expenses.

The worse you are injured and the longer you are likely to be out of work, the more likely your employer or the workers’ compensation insurance administrator is to dispute your claim.

To avoid a claim payment, your employer or the workers’ compensation insurer may argue that:

Your accident did not occur while you were on the job or acting within the scope of employment.
You are an independent contractor and not an employee and therefore you are not eligible for workers’ comp.
You have recovered sufficiently to return to work or to assume alternative work duties.
You do not need some of the medical treatment you claim, such as additional reconstructive surgery or counseling for trauma, which is allowable under North Carolina workers’ compensation regulations.

If an employee is injured while on the job, the worker or his or her family has a right to workers’ compensation benefits in most situations. You also have the right to be represented by an attorney of your choice to make sure you receive all the benefits that you are due for a work-related injury.

Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks can see to it that your benefits are properly protected. Your employer and your employer’s insurance company will be represented by lawyers who deal with workers’ compensation claims every day, so you should have an attorney experienced with workers’ compensation cases representing you. Our firm partners Chip Younce and David E. Vtipil are board-certified specialists in North Carolina workers’ compensation law.

Who Will Be Held Liable for My Electrical Injuries?

In cases of electrical shock or electrocution injury not connected to job duties, you may seek compensation from other people or organizations whose negligence caused the accident that injured you. Having experienced legal representation is critical to a personal injury associated with electrocution suffered because of dangerous conditions on someone else’s property or a defective product, for example.

Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible to settle a claim. The initial settlement offer after an accident may not come close to covering your expenses. A serious electrical burn injury may require multiple rounds of surgery and a lengthy recovery. It is imperative that you have an experienced Raleigh electrocution injury attorney represent you and have a full accounting of your costs and losses before you accept an insurance settlement.

Our attorneys can investigate your accident to ensure that the responsible parties are held accountable, and conduct a full accounting of your injuries, medical expenses and other costs and losses. A proper personal injury seeks to recover all of your monetary losses so that you suffer no lasting financial consequences for an injury or death that was someone else’s fault.

Contact an Electrocution Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one suffered a serious electrical burn or electrocution injury in a workplace accident or in an accident that was caused by someone else’s carelessness, an insurance company may offer you a settlement that looks good but is actually meant to make your case go away quickly and cheaply.

Don’t settle for you less than you deserve. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible, and the check they offer you is calculated to seem appropriate but may not come close to covering your actual losses.

At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., our skilled Raleigh electrocution injury attorneys know exactly how insurance companies operate. We will determine the full extent of your losses and negotiate aggressively on your behalf for a proper settlement or present a strong case to a judge and jury, if necessary.

You deserve full and fair compensation for the monetary loss as well as the pain and suffering a serious electrical injury has caused you and your family. Our attorneys will fight for you. Schedule a free consultation now.

Testimonials

These guys are great, especially David. They are friendly, professional & down to earth. I can’t think of anything negative to say about them. They are very good at what they do.

Review by: BENNIE
Rating: ★★★★★5 / 5 stars