Electrocution Accidents

Construction sites present countless hazards and dangers to workers, and one of the most common forms of injury on a job site is electrocution. In fact, construction workers are more likely to suffer electrocution than even utility workers or power line installers. Contact with overhead power lines, improperly-grounded equipment, and unprotected ground faults are just some of the ways that construction sites present opportunities for electrocutions and electrical burns of workers – all of which can be prevented by the appropriate use of safety equipment and compliance with state and federal regulation. Nevertheless, those in charge of maintaining safe electrical systems or providing equipment to job sites often fail to dedicate the time and expense necessary to protecting worker safety.

As soon as possible after experiencing an electrocution accident on the job in South Carolina, contact the construction injury lawyers at Peake & Fowler for help in determining if you might have a third party claim for money damages, or to help ensure you receive the Workers’ Compensation benefits you’re owed.

Construction sites present countless hazards and dangers to workers, and one of the most common forms of injury on a job site is electrocution. The sheer volume of high-voltage wiring, heavy machinery operating near power sources, and the constantly changing electrical landscape of a developing structure create a risk environment unparalleled in most other industries.

In fact, construction workers are statistically more likely to suffer electrocution than even utility workers or power line installers, highlighting the unique and pervasive danger inherent in this field.

Contact with overhead power lines, improperly-grounded equipment, and unprotected ground faults are just some of the ways that construction sites present opportunities for electrocutions and electrical burns of workers. These hazards are all recognized, predictable, and largely preventable. Safety protocols, ranging from basic insulated gloves to sophisticated Lockout/Tagout procedures, are specifically designed to eliminate these risks.

Nevertheless, those in charge of maintaining safe electrical systems or providing equipment to job sites often fail to dedicate the time and expense necessary to protecting worker safety. This failure can translate directly into catastrophic injuries and fatalities.

As soon as possible after experiencing an electrocution accident on the job in South Carolina, contact the construction injury lawyers at Peake & Fowler. They can help in determining if you might have a third-party claim for money damages, or to help ensure you receive the Workers’ Compensation benefits you’re owed. Pursuing full and fair financial recovery requires immediate investigation and a clear understanding of the complex chain of responsibility on a typical job site.

The Physics of Catastrophe: Understanding Electrical Injury

Electrocution is the event of severe injury or death caused by electric shock, burn, or other injury. While many people think of electrocution merely as a jolt, the reality of electrical injury is far more destructive and varied, often resulting in complex trauma that affects multiple body systems. Understanding the mechanism of injury underscores the severity of these workplace accidents:

1. Electric Shock and Internal Damage

This occurs when current passes through the body. The danger is not the voltage, but the amperage (current flow). Even low amperage can cause ventricular fibrillation (cardiac arrest) or paralyze the respiratory system. The current seeks the path of least resistance to ground, causing damage along its internal pathway, which often includes the heart, nerves, and major organs.

2. Electrical Burns (True Electrocution Burns)

These are severe injuries caused by the heat generated as current passes through tissues. They are characterized by entry and exit wounds. The entry point might be small, but the damage to deep tissues, muscle, bone, and nerves along the current’s path can be extensive, often leading to internal necrosis that requires extensive surgery and amputation.

3. Arc Flash and Arc Blast Trauma

This is perhaps the most dangerous and visually explosive hazard. When an electrical fault occurs, an arc flash can create temperatures up to $35,000^{\circ}$F, hotter than the surface of the sun. The intense thermal energy causes severe external burns, while the corresponding arc blast—a pressure wave—can rupture eardrums, collapse lungs, and throw workers across a job site, causing traumatic brain injury (TBI) and orthopedic injuries.

The unpredictable nature of these injuries, where internal damage often far exceeds external appearance, is why rapid, thorough medical and legal intervention is essential following any electrical incident on a construction site.

Construction Sites Rife with Opportunities for Electrocution

Construction job sites are places where numerous pieces of electrical equipment are constantly in use, and are also places constantly being wired with electricity. Because of this, there are many opportunities for electrical injuries. The failure points can be organizational, regulatory, mechanical, or human.

Common causes of electrocution of construction site workers include:

Hazards from Overhead Power Lines

Cranes, scissor lifts, dump trucks, and scaffolding often operate near or under high-voltage lines. Failure to maintain the mandated minimum clearance distance (often $10$ feet or more, depending on voltage, as per OSHA standards $\S 1926.1408$) leads to electrocution of operators and workers on the ground below who may be touching the equipment when it becomes energized.

Faulty and Unmaintained Tools

Saws, drills, compressors, and welders are constantly abused on job sites. Worn-out insulation, damaged cords, or faulty internal wiring can turn a routine tool into a conductor for injury. If a third-party rental or equipment company provided defective or improperly serviced tools, they may bear liability.

Dangers in Temporary Wiring

Overloading or improperly connecting multiple extension cords is a common violation of electrical safety standards. Daisy-chaining extension cords, using unrated cords for heavy loads, or using damaged cords can lead to overheating, fire, and ground faults that expose workers to live current.

PPE and Safety Protocol Failures

Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as insulated gloves, dielectric footwear, and flame-resistant (FR) clothing, is mandatory when working with or near exposed electrical hazards. The failure of the general contractor or supervising subcontractor to provide, train on, or mandate the use of this gear is a direct pathway to liability.

Furthermore, unmarked, uncapped, or unshielded live wires are a direct violation of safety protocols. This is often the result of insufficient lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures, where electrical sources are not properly de-energized and locked out before maintenance or installation work begins.

Design and Grounding Deficiencies

Errors in the initial plans, routing high-voltage lines too close to walkways, or installing inadequate grounding systems can be a source of injury. This may point liability toward the engineering firm or the electrical design subcontractor.

OSHA mandates the use of Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) or an assured equipment grounding conductor program (AEGCP) on temporary wiring systems used on construction sites. A GFCI detects a current leak and shuts off power rapidly, preventing electrocution. The absence or failure of proper GFCI protection is a common indicator of negligence.

The Financial and Human Cost of Injury

Electrocution accidents can result in extraordinarily high costs related to treatment and recovery, extended recovery times, and profound pain and suffering. The comprehensive medical treatment required for electrical injuries often involves specialized burn units, multiple skin grafts, plastic surgery, and extensive rehabilitation for nerve damage and mobility loss.

Often, Workers’ Compensation benefits simply aren’t enough to cover your family’s needs while you’re out of work after a serious injury. Workers’ Compensation in South Carolina generally covers medical expenses and a portion of lost wages, but it explicitly does not cover pain, suffering, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life. For injuries of this magnitude, the financial limits of the Workers’ Compensation system quickly become apparent.

Navigating South Carolina Law: Workers’ Compensation vs. Third-Party Claims

For a construction worker injured on the job, the first line of recovery is typically the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation system. This no-fault system is designed to provide quick benefits regardless of who was at fault. By accepting these benefits, however, the employee typically forfeits the right to sue their direct employer.

The critical legal distinction is the Third-Party Claim. If you were hurt on the job due to the negligence of someone other than your direct employer (a third party), you maintain the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against that party. This is the crucial avenue for recovering damages beyond the restricted scope of Workers’ Compensation.

Examples of Potential Third-Party Defendants

• The Owner of the Property: If the accident resulted from a dangerous condition on the premises that the owner knew about or should have known about (Premises Liability).
• The General Contractor (GC): If the GC retained sufficient control over the job site’s safety or failed in their duty to coordinate a safe work environment for all personnel.
• Another Subcontractor: For instance, a masonry crew that improperly stacks materials, causing an electrician to trip and contact a live wire.
• An Equipment or Tool Manufacturer: If the injury was caused by a defective product (Product Liability), such as a crane with faulty limit switches.
• An Equipment Lessor/Rental Company: If they failed to inspect, repair, or maintain heavy equipment before providing it to the job site.

Effective Legal Help with Electrocution Injuries

When facing the immense physical and financial burden of an electrocution injury, securing dedicated legal representation is essential. If you were hurt on the job due to an independent contractor or subcontractor’s negligence, getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries requires meticulous investigation and a comprehensive legal strategy.

The legal team at Peake & Fowler brings a focused approach to construction accident cases in Columbia. The firm’s work involves immediate investigation, preserving crucial evidence at the scene before it is cleaned up or moved, and navigating the often-complex insurance and regulatory landscape.

Key Steps Taken in a Third-Party Claim

A legal practice committed to maximum client recovery will take several key steps:

1. Immediate Scene Investigation: Attorneys will dispatch investigators and forensic engineers immediately to document the scene, take measurements, and photograph equipment to determine the exact point of failure before physical evidence disappears.
2. Regulatory Analysis: The firm reviews all relevant safety regulations—including specific OSHA, NFPA, and local South Carolina building codes—to establish how the third party deviated from their legal duty of care.
3. Determining the Full Scope of Damages: Unlike Workers’ Compensation, a third-party claim allows for full recovery. Attorneys calculate economic and non-economic losses.
4. Working with Medical Professionals: The legal team collaborates with specialists (neurologists, cardiologists, plastic surgeons) to create a comprehensive picture of the injury’s long-term impact, ensuring the final claim accurately reflects future care needs.
5. Case Preparation and Litigation: The firm prepares the case for the possibility of trial, collecting deposition testimony from site supervisors and witnesses and presenting a clear narrative of negligence and causation.

Recoverable Damages in a Third-Party Claim

The monetary damages available in a successful third-party claim are designed to restore the injured worker to the financial position they would have been in had the accident never occurred. These damages include:

Economic Damages (Calculable Losses)

• Past and Future Medical Expenses: This includes emergency room visits, specialized burn unit care, medication, physical therapy, necessary surgeries (e.g., skin grafts, amputations), psychological counseling, and assistive medical devices.
• Lost Wages: The income lost from the time of injury until the claim resolution.
• Loss of Earning Capacity: This accounts for the difference between what the worker could have earned over their lifetime without the injury and what they are now projected to earn given their permanent disability or restricted work capacity.

Non-Economic Damages (Non-Monetary Losses)

• Physical Pain and Suffering: The actual, physical pain endured from the time of the injury through recovery and for the rest of the worker’s life.
• Mental Anguish and Emotional Distress: The emotional toll, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and fear of similar situations, is especially common after arc blast events.
• Disfigurement and Scarring: Damages related to the permanent visual changes caused by burns and necessary surgeries.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Compensation for the inability to participate in hobbies, recreational activities, or perform daily tasks previously enjoyed.

By pursuing a third-party claim, victims and their families gain access to a form of financial security that Workers’ Compensation alone cannot provide, offering the resources necessary for a lifetime of care and adjustment following a catastrophic injury.

The process of determining third-party liability is complex and time-sensitive. The documentation necessary to establish negligence—from daily maintenance logs to shift reports and safety briefings—can be destroyed, altered, or simply lost if action is not taken promptly. For a person dealing with severe burns or cardiac issues, the priority is survival and recovery, not paperwork.

The Columbia construction accident lawyers at Peake & Fowler are ready to provide the dedication and diligence required to prepare a strong case. If you have suffered an electrical injury on a South Carolina job site, reach out to the law firm for a consultation. They are prepared to evaluate the full potential of your claim and advocate for the recovery you deserve. Contact Peake & Fowler at 803-788-4370.

Effective Legal Help with Electrocution Injuries from Experienced South Carolina Workplace Accident Attorneys

Electrocution accidents can result in high costs related to treatment and recovery from injuries, extended recovery times, and pain and suffering. Often, Workers’ Compensation benefits simply aren’t enough to cover your family’s needs while you’re out of work after a serious injury. If you were hurt on the job due to an independent contractor or subcontractor’s negligence, get the compensation you deserve for your injuries by contacting the knowledgeable and dedicated Columbia construction accident attorneys at Peake & Fowler for a consultation, at 803-788-4370.

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