Brooklyn Electrocution Accident Lawyer
Electrical Shock Accidents Can Kill
Electricity has been a blessing to civilization since mankind first began to harness it productively in the early 19th century. But it has always been and always will be a dangerous force, capable of seriously injuring or killing a person in an instant. Workplace electrocution accidents continue to be a problem, causing many injuries and deaths each year.
Construction sites are especially dangerous places for electricity and have been since electric power first entered businesses and homes. The first recorded fatal electrocution accident in the workplace happened to a construction worker, a French carpenter, in 1879. Electrical safety precautions at job sites have vastly improved since then, but electricity remains dangerous and accidents involving electrocution happen almost every day.
Between 8% and 10% of fatal construction accidents in the US each year are the result of electrocution, which is 2 to 3 times the overall rate for other occupations. In 2012, over 4,600 workers died because of some type of on-the-job accident. Nearly one in five of those workers (870) were employed in construction. About 1 in 12 of those construction accident deaths was caused by electrocution. If you are a worker who has been injured in an electrical shock accident while at work, a Brooklyn attorney familiar with this type of case can help you.
While many electricity accidents take place at work, ordinary people are not immune from the risk of electrocution. Each year about 30,000 serious but non-fatal shock accidents occur in the home, and an average of 60 people are killed by electrocution associated with a consumer product, usually small appliances, power tools, or lighting equipment. These electrical injury victims should also seek qualified legal representation.
At work sites, the conditions which most commonly lead to electrocution accidents (and which could be the result of negligence) are:
- Contact with power lines by equipment
- Improper grounding of electrical equipment
- Lack of ground fault protection
- Failure to follow manufacturer’s instructions
- Improper use of extension cords and flexible cords
Experienced Electrocution Accident Attorneys in Brooklyn
Every electrical shock injury case is different. The severity of the injury and the damages sought will vary depending on numerous circumstances at the time of the accident, such as how long the victim was exposed to the shock, how large a current was received, the path of current through the body, the voltage in effect, and the level of moisture in the environment at the time of the accident.
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