If you were injured by electricity while working, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for your medical treatment, lost wages, and other losses.
Workplace electrical accidents can happen in construction, manufacturing, industrial facilities, warehouses, utility work, and other jobs where employees work around electrical equipment or power sources. Electrical injuries can cause serious burns, heart problems, nerve damage, brain injuries, falls, and other life-changing injuries.
Our North Carolina workplace injury lawyers can help you understand your rights and options after an electrical accident at work.
With more than 70 years of combined experience, our North Carolina electrocution injury lawyers deliver more.
A workplace electrocution or electrical injury occurs when an employee is exposed to an electrical current while performing work-related activities.
Electrical accidents can happen when a worker comes into contact with:
The term electrocution technically refers to a fatal electric shock. However, people commonly use “electrocution” to describe both fatal and nonfatal electrical injuries. This page addresses both workplace electrical injuries and fatal workplace electrocutions.
Electrical accidents can happen for many different reasons, including:
Determining exactly what caused an electrical accident can be important when evaluating a workers’ compensation claim and determining whether another party may also be responsible.
An electrical accident can cause much more than a visible burn.
Depending on the circumstances, an employee may suffer:
Electrical shock can also cause a worker to fall from a ladder, roof, scaffold, platform, or other elevated surface, resulting in additional traumatic injuries.
Workplace electrical accidents can take several forms.
Electrical Shock
An electrical shock occurs when an electrical current passes through the body. The severity of the injury can vary depending on the voltage, current, duration of contact, and path the electricity takes through the body.
Electrocution
Electrocution refers specifically to death caused by electrical current.
Arc Flash Injuries
An arc flash can produce extreme heat, light, pressure, and electrical energy, potentially causing severe burns and other injuries.
Electrical Fires
Electrical malfunctions can cause fires and explosions, resulting in burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries.
Power Line Accidents
Workers in construction, utility work, tree removal, and other industries may face serious risks when working near overhead or underground power lines.
If you were injured by electricity while performing your job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
Workers’ compensation may provide benefits for medical treatment and lost wages when a qualifying workplace injury prevents you from working.
You may have a workers’ compensation claim if you were injured while:
Whether your specific injury qualifies depends on the circumstances of the accident.
If you have been injured by electricity, seek medical attention immediately. Electrical injuries can cause internal damage or complications that may not be obvious immediately after the accident.
You should also consider the following steps:
Report the Accident
Notify your employer about the electrical accident as soon as possible in writing and follow your workplace’s procedures for reporting injuries.
Seek Medical Treatment
Tell your medical provider that the injury occurred while you were working.
Document the Accident
If you are physically able, photograph the accident scene, equipment, wires, electrical panels, tools, visible injuries, and other conditions that may help document what happened.
Identify Witnesses
Write down the names and contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident.
Preserve Important Records
Keep copies of medical records, accident reports, medical bills, work restrictions, insurance correspondence, and other documents related to your injury.
Speak With a Lawyer
If your employer or its insurance company disputes your injury or workers’ compensation claim, an attorney can help you understand your options.
Depending on your circumstances, workers’ compensation may provide benefits for:
The benefits available depend on the severity of your injury, your wages, your ability to work, and other factors.
A lack of visible burns does not necessarily mean that you were not seriously injured.
Electrical current can affect the heart, nervous system, muscles, and other parts of the body. Some electrical injuries may not be immediately visible.
If you experienced an electrical shock at work, seek medical attention and report the accident to your employer even if you initially feel okay.
An electrical shock can cause a worker to lose consciousness, lose muscle control, or otherwise fall from a height.
For example, an electrical accident could cause a worker to fall from:
In these situations, the worker may suffer both an electrical injury and traumatic injuries caused by the fall.
If the fall happened while you were performing your job, the resulting injuries may potentially be covered by workers’ compensation.
Contact with an overhead or underground power line can cause catastrophic injuries or death.
Workers in construction, electrical work, telecommunications, tree removal, and other industries may encounter power lines while performing their jobs.
If you were injured by a power line while working, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
It may also be important to determine whether another party contributed to the accident.
An arc flash is a sudden release of electrical energy that can create extreme heat, intense light, pressure, and flying debris.
Arc flash accidents can cause:
Workers’ compensation may cover a qualifying arc flash injury that occurs during employment.
Electrical injuries can sometimes be caused by defective tools, machinery, wiring, or other equipment.
For example, a defective:
If a defective product caused or contributed to your injury, you may have a potential claim against the manufacturer or another responsible third party in addition to your workers’ compensation claim.
Electrical work can involve significant hazards, particularly when employees are working around energized equipment or power sources.
If you were injured because you did not receive appropriate training or safety instructions, you may still be entitled to workers’ compensation for a qualifying workplace injury.
Workers’ compensation generally does not require an injured employee to prove that the employer was negligent though.
Appropriate protective equipment and safety procedures can be particularly important when working around electrical hazards.
If you were injured because appropriate protective equipment was not provided or safety procedures were not followed, you may still have a workers’ compensation claim.
The circumstances may also raise questions about whether another party could be legally responsible for the accident.
Yes. You may still be entitled to workers’ compensation even if you believe your own mistake contributed to the accident.
Workers’ compensation generally does not operate like a traditional negligence lawsuit. An injured employee generally does not have to prove that another person caused the accident through negligence to receive benefits for a qualifying workplace injury.
If your employer or insurance company is blaming you for the accident, however, you should understand how that may affect your specific claim.
Workers’ compensation generally provides the primary remedy against an employer for qualifying workplace injuries.
However, an electrical accident may involve another responsible party.
For example, the accident could involve:
If a third party contributed to your accident, you may have a separate personal injury claim in addition to your workers’ compensation claim.
Potentially, yes.
If a third party caused or contributed to your workplace electrical injury, you may have a third-party personal injury claim.
For example, a defective piece of equipment may create a potential claim against its manufacturer, while unsafe conditions created by another company may create a potential claim against that company.
A third-party claim is separate from your workers’ compensation claim and can involve different types of compensation.
If your workers’ compensation claim was denied, you may have options for challenging the denial.
An insurance company may dispute whether:
A denied claim does not necessarily mean that you cannot receive workers’ compensation benefits.
An attorney can review the reason for the denial and explain what options may be available.
There is no fixed amount for every workplace electrical injury claim.
The value of a workers’ compensation claim may depend on:
If you have a separate third-party personal injury claim, additional damages may potentially be available.
Electrical accidents can be fatal.
If a family member died from an electrical accident that occurred while they were working, surviving family members may be entitled to death benefits through workers’ compensation.
There may also be additional legal issues depending on whether a third party contributed to the accident.
Wrongful death and workers’ compensation death claims can involve complicated legal and financial considerations. Speaking with an attorney can help your family understand what claims and benefits may be available.
You should report your workplace electrical injury to your employer in writing as soon as possible.
North Carolina generally requires written notice of an injury by accident to be provided to the employer immediately or as soon as practicable, and generally within 30 days.
Waiting to report an electrical injury can create complications if your employer or its insurance company later disputes the accident.
North Carolina generally requires a workers’ compensation claim to be filed within two years after an injury by accident, subject to applicable requirements and exceptions.
Reporting the accident to your employer is not necessarily the same as filing a workers’ compensation claim with the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
If you were seriously injured by electricity at work, it is important to understand the deadlines that may apply to your claim.
You may want to speak with a North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer if:
An attorney can evaluate your situation and determine whether you may have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party claim, or potentially both.
