White Oak Workplace Injuries — Electrocution

An electric shock injury happens instantly, but its consequences last a lifetime. You perform your job duties, and through no fault of your own, a powerful current courses through your body, leaving behind devastating burns, internal damage, and invisible neurological wounds. 

A severe workplace electrocution is a catastrophic event, one that no employee in White Oak or anywhere in Pennsylvania should ever have to endure. When this happens because of someone’s carelessness, inadequate safety measures, or defective equipment, you have a right to hold the responsible parties accountable. 

Pursuing legal action is not just about financial recovery; it is about seeking justice and securing the resources needed to rebuild your life.

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What to Do After Suffering an Electrical Injury at Work

After the initial chaos of the accident and the disorienting experience of an emergency room visit, you are finally home. The physical pain is immense, and the path forward seems unclear. 

Your actions in the following days and weeks protect your health and legal rights.

1. Document your injuries thoroughly: The visible evidence of an electrical injury, such as entry and exit burns, can change quickly. Take clear photographs of your burns and any other visible injuries as soon as you are able. Continue to take pictures throughout your healing process to create a visual record of your recovery.

2. Start a detailed journal: Get a notebook and document everything related to your injury and recovery. Your memory may fade over time, and a written record is invaluable. 

Your journal should include:

• A daily log of your pain levels and physical symptoms.
• A list of all medical appointments, including the date, doctor, and what was discussed.
• Notes on how the injury impacts your daily life, such as difficulty sleeping, inability to perform household chores, or challenges with personal care.
• A record of all communications with your employer or their insurance company.

3. Preserve physical evidence: The clothing and footwear you wore at the time of the shock are essential pieces of evidence. Place them in a secure bag and do not wash them. If any tools or equipment were involved, their condition must also be preserved.

4. Follow all medical advice: Attend every single doctor's appointment, physical therapy session, and specialist consultation. Fill all prescriptions and take them as directed. Strict adherence to your treatment plan demonstrates the seriousness of your injuries and creates a clear medical record of your recovery journey.

5. Obtain legal representation: An electrocution case involves layers of law, including workers' compensation and personal injury. An attorney can investigate the accident, determine all liable parties, and protect you from insurance companies that minimize your claim.

What to Know About Workplace Electrocution

Electricity causes harm in ways that are not always immediately apparent. The current passing through the body can cook tissues from the inside out, disrupt the nervous system, and stop the heart. 

The severity of the injuries depends on the voltage, the path the current takes through the body, and the duration of the contact.

• Severe burns: Electrical currents generate intense heat, causing deep thermal burns at the points where electricity enters and exits the body. Flash burns can also occur when an electrical arc explodes near a worker.
• Neurological damage: The body’s nervous system runs on electrical signals. A high-voltage shock can disrupt or destroy nerve pathways, leading to chronic pain, numbness, tingling, or loss of motor control. 

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can also result from the shock itself or from a fall after the shock.

• Cardiac and organ damage: An electrical current passing through the chest can trigger cardiac arrest, an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), or permanent damage to the heart muscle. It can also damage internal organs like the kidneys, liver, and spleen.
• Secondary trauma: The force of an electrical shock can throw a worker from a ladder, scaffold, or bucket truck, causing secondary injuries such as broken bones, spinal cord damage, and internal bleeding.
• Psychological Wounds: Surviving a life-threatening event like electrocution often leaves deep psychological scars, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and a persistent fear of electricity or returning to work.

Liability for an Electrical Accident on the Job

When you are injured at work in Pennsylvania, you are generally entitled to workers' compensation benefits. This system provides for medical bills and partial wage replacement regardless of who was at fault. 

However, workers' comp benefits are limited and do not provide any payment for pain and suffering. A separate and more comprehensive legal action, a third-party personal injury lawsuit, may be possible. 

If the investigation shows that your electrocution was caused by the negligence of someone other than your direct employer or a coworker, you can file a lawsuit against that "third party." This action allows you to seek full compensation for all of your losses.

Proving Negligence in an Electrical Accident Lawsuit

To win a third-party lawsuit, your attorney must prove that another party was legally negligent. This involves showing that they failed to act with reasonable care and that their failure directly caused your injuries.

Common failures that lead to workplace electrocutions include:

1. OSHA violations: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has strict rules for electrical safety, including Lockout/Tagout procedures that require equipment to be de-energized before service. Violations of these rules are strong evidence of negligence.
2. Failure to provide proper equipment: This could mean not supplying workers with the correct personal protective equipment (PPE), such as insulated gloves, or providing tools that are worn, damaged, or not rated for the voltage being handled.
3. Inadequate training: Sending workers to perform electrical tasks without proper training on safety procedures, hazard identification, and emergency response is a clear act of negligence.
4. Poor communication on job sites: A failure to communicate about which circuits are live and which are shut down often leads to catastrophic accidents.

Compensation You Can Pursue After a Workplace Electric Shock

The financial, physical, and emotional costs of an electrical injury are staggering. A successful third-party lawsuit allows you to demand compensation that covers the full scope of your damages, going far beyond the limited benefits of workers' compensation.

Damages available in a third-party injury claim

A personal injury claim seeks to make you whole again by recovering payment for every loss you have suffered.

• All past and future medical bills, including surgeries, rehabilitation, assistive devices, and in-home nursing care.
• The full amount of your lost wages, from the day of the accident until you can return to work.
• Payment for diminished future earning capacity if you cannot return to your old job or must take a lower-paying position.
• Compensation for your physical pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish.
• Damages for permanent scarring, disfigurement, and the loss of life's pleasures.

Benefits under Pennsylvania workers' compensation

While a third-party case is pending, the workers' compensation system provides an immediate safety net.

• Coverage for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment.
• Wage-loss benefits equal to about two-thirds of your average weekly wage.
• Specific loss benefits, which are payments for amputations or the permanent loss of use of a body part.

Why Choose Us for Your White Oak Electrocution Case?

When you have suffered a catastrophic electrical injury, you need more than just a lawyer. You need a team of aggressive trial attorneys with the resources and resolve to take on large corporations and their insurance carriers. 

Our firm is built for these fights. We dedicate our practice to helping people who have been seriously injured.

• We possess a deep knowledge of the complex state and federal regulations (including OSHA standards) that govern workplace safety.
• Our firm has a proven history of success in catastrophic injury cases, including those involving severe burns, traumatic brain injuries, and amputations.
• We work with a network of leading electrical engineers, accident reconstructionists, and life care planners to build an undeniable case for damages.
• Your fight becomes our fight. We treat our clients with compassion while aggressively pursuing the maximum compensation they deserve from all responsible parties.
• We manage every detail of your case, including the coordination of your workers' compensation claim, so you can focus all your energy on your physical recovery.
• When you call our firm, you will have direct access to the attorney handling your case, not just a paralegal or case manager.

Frequently Asked Questions About Workplace Electrocution Claims

After a serious accident, you are left with many questions. Here are clear answers to some of the most common concerns we hear from injured workers and their families.

Take Decisive Action to Reclaim Your Future

A workplace electrocution can take away your health, your career, and your financial stability. But it does not have to take away your power. You have the right to demand answers and accountability. At Pribanic & Pribanic, we stand up for injured workers in White Oak and across Pennsylvania. 

We are trial lawyers who are unafraid to take on the biggest companies and insurers in the nation to get justice for our clients. Your future depends on the actions you take today. Let us help you put the pieces back together. 

Contact our White Oak personal injury lawyers for a free consultation, confidential consultation to discuss your case. We will listen to your story, answer your questions, and explain your legal options.

Call Pribanic & Pribanic for a Free Consultation:
(412) 672-5444

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