Harnessing electricity changed the way we live, work, and even how we budget our time through the day. Before electric lights, humans followed a different sleep pattern. But like so many other life-changing technologies, electricity can be dangerous, even fatal. If you work in construction or another field where you are exposed to frayed wires, electrical current, and electrical machinery, you can be injured or killed in a workplace electrical accident. Educate yourself about what to do after an electrical accident to protect yourself from further harm and to ensure that you can seek compensation for your resulting damages, as well as how you can prevent electrical accidents.
How are Construction Workers Injured on the Job?
Electrocution is one of the “fatal four” accident types. These four types of accident, which also include falls, being caught between objects, and strikes by projectiles or falling objects, are responsible for the bulk of workplace fatalities in the United States.
Construction workers and others who work with electrical equipment face numerous electrocution hazards at work. A few electrical hazards workers can face include:
- Frayed wires;
- Equipment malfunctions;
- Faulty wiring;
- Damaged insulation;
- Improper grounding;
- Overloaded electrical circuits; and
- Wet conditions on or near electrical equipment.
When a Worker is Electrocuted, who is Responsible for the Damages?
In a construction accident, it is not uncommon for a third party to be negligent and thus liable for the victim’s damages. Unless the victim was injured in an elevation-related accident, he or she must demonstrate that another party’s negligence caused him or her to be injured and suffer specific damages as a result. He or she might need to demonstrate that the party, which might have been a construction company or a subcontractor, was negligent by failing to provide a safe work environment, properly maintained equipment, or sufficient warning about hazards present at the job site.
When a worker is injured because of a piece of equipment malfunctions, the equipment’s manufacturer may be determined to be at fault for the victim’s damages. This, too, is a third party claim that requires the victim to provide evidence that the other party was negligent and thus, responsible for his or her injury and resulting damages.
When the victim’s own negligence played a role in his or her accident, he or she may still recover compensation for his or her damages as long as the victim was not the only one at fault. In other words, unless your accident can only be attributed to your own reckless or careless behavior, you can recover compensation. But if you do recover compensation, it will be reduced according to your percentage of fault.
Work with an Experienced New York Construction Accident Attorney
If you are a construction worker who is now facing substantial expenses after an electrical injury, you could be entitled to seek compensation for your damages through a construction accident claim. To learn more about your rights and the process of seeking compensation, contact our team of construction accident attorneys at Grant & Longworth, Attorneys at Law today to set up your initial consultation in our office.
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