Electrocution Lawyer NYC
Electrical shock accidents can have serious, often fatal, effects on a person. Electrocution occurs when a person is killed by an electrical shock. An electrocution accident occurs when a person comes into contact with an electrical source - be it a product, power line, appliance, or some other electricity generating source.
Various types of injuries can occur from a variety of sources - from touching exposed wiring to coming into contact with a wire while working, either by digging or hitting an overhead wire with equipment. No matter how the electrical shock or electrocution occurred, you may be able to be compensated for injury or death caused by a defective product or workplace hazard. Often workers at construction sites suffer electrical injury or fatality due to the failure to shut off the electric source by the general contractor or others, before commencing work.
What Damages Can Be Caused by an Electrical Shock or Electrocution Accident?The damage that can be caused from exposure to an electrical shock include:
Burns
Muscle Spasms
Cardiac Arrest
Long-term Heart Damage
Cellular Damage
Death
A frequent source of electrical shock or electrocution is contact with overhead power lines. Electric companies have a duty to properly install and maintain their wires including fixing sags in power lines or repairing and guarding against power lines that have been knocked down in a storm. When a power company fails to exercise reasonable care in protecting the public in these situations, it can be held responsible. Workers on cranes in the area of electric wires often suffer injury or death from a failure to shut down electrical power.
How Do I Know If a Defective Product Caused my Electrical Shock Injury?Defective products cause an alarming number of electrical injuries. These often occur in the home when an appliance, power tool, or even a phone, computer or medical device malfunctions. Children are particularly susceptible to electrocution by unsafe children’s products as they can often occur instantaneously and without any prior warning. Faulty installation of appliances, light fixtures, and outlets can also result in electrocution and are a primary cause of electrical accidents in the home.
I Was Shocked On The Job, Who is Liable?Electrocution in the workplace normally occurs due to unsafe working conditions, poor procedures & training, or malfunctioning or defective machinery or tools. Although many of these cases will be limited by the Workers Compensation laws of the State of New York, cases often can be pursued against other companies such as the manufacturers of the defective product or the companies that maintain it. In the case of a construction worker who suffers injury or death as a result of electrocution, the owner or general contractor may be liable for failure to shut down the source of the electrical power.
How Are Electrical Shock and Electrocution Cases Handled in New York?Electrical shock and electrocution cases in New York often involve theories of product liability. These types of cases definitely require attorneys with specialized expertise in the applicable New York laws. In a case involving an electrical shock arising from the defective design of a product, the claim is that the product functioned as it was designed but the design was negligent. The risk of electric shock or electrocution must be designedout of the product if such can be done without destroying the utility of the product. If this can't be done then the possibility of electrical shock or electrocution must be guarded against or, if guarding is not possible, warned against.
How is compensation calculated in an electrocution accident case in New York?Our NYC electrocution attorneys will not only retain the best experts in the fields of electrical engineering, accident investigation, and reconstruction, to determine how the accident occurred and who is responsible but will also hire economists, financial analysts and accountants to determine the costs associated with the accident such as cost of care, lost wage, pain and suffering and other monetary loss.
The attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf advocate for our clients' full financial recovery through detailed, meticulous preparation for trial. If you have suffered a serious personal injury or a loved one died as a result of an electrical accident, please contact our personal injury law firm to discuss your case.
Disclaimer: Please be advised that the results achieved in any given case depend upon the exact facts and circumstances of that case. Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf cannot guarantee a specific result in any legal matter. Any testimonial or case result listed on this site is based on an actual legal case and represents the results achieved in that particular case, and does not constitute a guarantee, warranty or prediction of the outcome of any other legal matter.