An accident involving electricity can leave you with burns, nerve damage, broken bones, or other lasting injuries. On top of recovery, you may be facing financial uncertainty if you have medical bills or are unable to work.
If your injury was caused by a negligent contractor, defective equipment, or an unsafe condition created by another party, you may have a personal injury claim in addition to workers’ compensation. An electrician injury lawyer in Dothan can evaluate your situation and help you understand what options may be available for seeking compensation.
Wettermark Keith represents injured electricians and other workers throughout Alabama. Our firm has recovered more than $1.5 billion for clients and has served more than 100,000 people.
If you were hurt on the job, a Dothan workers’ compensation lawyer from our firm will review what happened and help you understand your legal options.
Types of Electrical Injuries That Warrant a Claim
Electrical accidents can cause more than a temporary injury. Some injuries electricians may suffer include:
- Severe electrical burns: Thermal burns, arc flash burns, and contact burns can require extensive treatment, skin grafts, and surgery.
- Electrocution and cardiac injuries: High-voltage contact can interfere with the heart and cause serious or life-threatening injuries.
- Nerve damage and chronic pain: An electric shock can damage nerves and leave you with ongoing pain, weakness, numbness, or loss of function.
- Traumatic brain or spinal injuries: An electrical shock can cause you to fall from a ladder, lift, roof, or other elevated area, leading to a serious head or spinal injury.
- Amputation or loss of function: Severe burns and other electrical injuries can result in the loss of a limb or lasting problems with movement and function.
- Psychological trauma: A serious electrical accident can also leave you dealing with fear, anxiety, PTSD, or other emotional effects.
The severity of your injury is not the only factor that matters. The circumstances surrounding the accident and whether another party may have caused it are also important when determining whether a third-party claim may be available. A Dothan personal injury lawyer can help investigate the entire scene of your accident.
Alabama’s Filing Deadline for Electrical Injury Claims
Alabama generally gives you two years from the date of an injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Wrongful death claims also generally have a two-year filing period.
Workers’ compensation claims have separate deadlines for reporting and pursuing benefits. These deadlines can be shorter, so do not assume that the two-year personal injury deadline applies to every part of your case.
Alabama’s contributory negligence rule can also make fault especially important. If you are found to have contributed to your injuries, even in part, you may be barred from recovering damages.
That is another reason to contact a Dothan electrician injury attorney to help investigate the accident early and preserve evidence before the details change.
What to Do Immediately After an Electrical Accident on a Dothan Job Site
Your health should come first after an electrical accident. Even if you feel okay at first, seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Some electrical injuries may not be obvious right away, and medical records can also document the injuries you suffered.
If you are able to do so safely, take steps to preserve information about the accident. You should:
- Report the accident: Tell your supervisor and make sure the incident is documented.
- Take photographs: Photograph the equipment, wiring, PPE, work area, and other conditions that may have played a role.
- Get witness information: Collect the names and contact information of coworkers and other people who saw what happened.
- Keep relevant records: Save medical records, accident reports, work communications, and other documents related to the injury.
- Be careful with insurance statements: Avoid giving a detailed statement about fault or the accident to an insurance company before you understand your rights.
- Speak with a lawyer early: An electrician injury attorney in Dothan can look into potential third-party liability before equipment is repaired, removed, or altered.
You do not need to figure out who was responsible on your own. Getting legal advice early can help protect evidence and give you a clearer picture of your options.
For a free legal consultation with an electrician injury lawyer serving Dothan,
call (833) 588-9009 today
How to Prove Negligence in an Electrical Injury Case
A third-party electrical injury claim usually requires evidence showing that another party was responsible for the conditions that caused your injury. Building that case may involve looking at the job site, the equipment involved, and what happened before the accident. Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may include:
- Reviewing OSHA records: Inspection reports, citations, and other records may provide information about safety problems at the job site.
- Working with safety or electrical experts: Experts may help explain how the accident occurred and whether equipment, wiring, or work practices played a role.
- Examining equipment records: Maintenance, inspection, repair, and testing records can help determine whether equipment was properly maintained.
- Interviewing witnesses: Coworkers, supervisors, and others at the job site may have information about what happened.
- Building a timeline: Emails, work orders, safety warnings, inspection records, and other documents can help show when a dangerous condition developed and whether it was ignored.
The goal is to establish what happened and who may have been responsible. Wettermark Keith can handle this investigation while you focus on your recovery.
What Compensation Can Cover After an Electrical Injury
A serious electrical injury can impact your health, livelihood, and finances. If another party is responsible, a personal injury claim may allow you to seek compensation for losses that workers’ compensation does not fully cover. Depending on the circumstances, compensation may include:
- Medical treatment costs: This can include emergency care, hospital treatment, burn care, skin grafts, surgery, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.
- Lost wages and future earning capacity: You may lose income while recovering, and a permanent injury could affect your ability to continue working in the skilled electrical trade.
- Pain and suffering: Compensation may be available for the physical pain and discomfort caused by your injuries.
- Permanent disability, disfigurement, or amputation: Serious burns, nerve damage, scarring, and amputations can have lasting effects on your work and daily life.
- Punitive damages: In limited cases, punitive damages may be available.
- Wrongful death damages: If an electrician dies because of another party’s wrongful conduct, eligible family members may have a wrongful death claim for punitive damages under Alabama law.
The compensation available in your case will depend on your injuries, financial losses, and the facts surrounding the accident. A Dothan electrician work injury lawyer from Wettermark Keith can take a look at the details surrounding your accident, including impact and injuries, and help you understand what types of damages may be available.
Dothan Electrician Injury Lawyer Near Me
(833) 588-9009
Talk to a Dothan Electrician Injury Lawyer
If you were seriously injured while working as an electrician in Dothan or the Wiregrass region, you may have options beyond a workers’ compensation claim. When another company, contractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer contributed to the accident, a third-party claim may be available.
Wettermark Keith has more than 50 years of combined experience. Our team can investigate the accident, identify potentially responsible parties, and help you understand what your claim may be worth.
Contact Wettermark Keith to schedule a free consultation about your electrical injury. You will not pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Because important evidence can disappear quickly and Alabama’s filing deadlines can limit your options, it is best to get started as soon as possible.
Call or text (833) 588-9009 or fill out our Free Case Evaluation Form to get started