Electrocution is a leading cause of death

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says electrical hazards cause more than 4,000 injuries and 300 deaths each year. Electrocution is the sixth leading cause of workplace deaths, and 52% of those fatalities are related to the construction industry.

Electrical workers face widespread hazards and are exposed to electrical energy throughout their work environment, and many are unaware of the potential danger they face making them more vulnerable to the threat of electrocution.

Four main types of electrical injuries

Electrocution hazards have been dubbed one of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) “Fatal Four” workplace hazards. The CDC lists four main types of electrical injuries:

• Electrocution death
• Electric shock
• Burns
• Falls caused because of contact with electricity

OSHA recently fined a Pennsylvania contractor $331,000 after a worker died in April 2018 while operating a forklift that came into contact with an overhead power line.

Electrical injuries also occur outside the workplace

American workers are not the only ones at risk for death or injuries caused by electrical hazards. The CDC says several dozen people in the U.S. are killed each year by defective consumer products or because of someone else’s negligence.

You do have legal recourse in each of these situations if your injuries or your loved one’s death happened at work, was due to a defective product, or was caused on private property where the owner failed to address dangerous conditions.

Seek legal advice to recover compensation

Electrical injuries can cause extensive medical and emotional costs, lost wages, short-term and long-term disability and disfigurement as well as pain and suffering for surviving family members in the case of death. If you or a loved one has been injured, you may be entitled to compensation.

Talking to an experienced attorney here in Pennsylvania can help you get the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve if you were injured at work. You may also be able to pursue personal injury litigation if the trauma was caused by a defective product or was due to someone else’s negligence.