Houston Workplace Electrocution Accident Lawyers

If you were electrocuted on the job, do not hesitate to contact The DJF Law Firm, PLLC. You could file a claim for benefits if your employer has workers’ compensation coverage.

Electrocution injuries can be fatal. Coming in contact with an electrical current causes electrical energy to enter the body. It can cause significant internal damage and lead to a range of complications. You should receive the benefit payments you need to pay for your medical care and replace part of your lost wages.

At The DJF Law Firm, PLLC, we understand the devastation of a workplace electrocution accident. Let us help you recover the money you deserve and get you back on your feet. Call us for a free consultation with one of our Houston work injury lawyers today at 832-529-3476.

Common Symptoms of an Electrocution Injury

Exposure to live electricity leads to electrocution. When you touch an electrical source, the current passes from the source into your body. Symptoms are immediate. The severity of the injury determines the type of symptoms you could experience.

The most common electrical shock symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Muscle spasms
• Burns
• Tingling or numbness
• Irregular heartbeat
• Trouble with hearing or vision
• Breathing issues

Electric shock can also lead to compartment syndrome. This occurs when the limbs begin to swell due to serious muscle damage. This can compress the arteries and cause various medical issues.

Common Causes of Electrocution Injuries

Intense pain, electrical burns, and heart complications are among the extensive damage electrocution can cause. Unfortunately, some industries are more dangerous than others, and avoiding live wires and electrical components is impossible. Even if you’re an office worker and never touch electrical wires, a hidden danger somewhere in the building could lead to your electrocution injury.

The most common causes of electrocution include:

• Overloads – An overload can occur when there are too many cords plugged into one circuit. The system’s temperature rises, and it could eventually catch on fire. You could get electrocuted if you try to unplug anything.
• Inadequate wiring – Extension cords and other wiring equipment can handle up to a specific amount of electricity. Fires and electrocution can result from the energy exceeding the maximum allowed level.
• Live parts – Sometimes, electrical equipment comes with uninsulated openings. Manufacturers might have their reasons for constructing certain equipment this way, but it can pose a serious risk to workers. Wearing protective gear while handling the equipment might prevent electrocution.
• Ground faults – Typically, electricity runs in a closed circuit. An open circuit is dangerous, and touching it could lead to electrical shock. You could avoid an injury by using equipment and tools with safeguards.
• Temporary wiring – Different types of electrical equipment serve different purposes. Temporary wiring is less resilient than other forms but can sometimes become a permanent solution. Temporary wiring is susceptible to malfunctioning, leading to burns and electrocution.
• Power lines – Many power lines contain insulation. However, some don’t. Working with an uninsulated power line can cause electrical shock if your body or a tool you use comes into contact with it.

You should contact The DJF Law Firm, PLLC immediately if you get hurt in an electrocution accident at work. We can investigate and gather evidence to prove you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. If there are no workers’ compensation benefits available and your injury was caused by someone else’s wrongdoing, we could file a third-party insurance claim or lawsuit for you.

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Since state law doesn’t require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, recovering benefits might not be possible. However, if your employer provides coverage, you could file a claim.

Two main benefits are available through workers’ compensation – medical and income.

Medical Benefits

Medical benefits cover the cost of all necessary and reasonable medical care. You can seek benefits to cover the treatment for your job-related injury or illness.

Your coverage will start on the date of the electrocution accident. If your workers’ compensation carrier is in a healthcare network, you must see a doctor in that healthcare network for the insurance company to cover your bills. If you choose to see someone outside of the network without getting approval first, it’s unlikely insurance will pay for it.

Income Benefits

Income benefits are available to replace part of your lost wages. Four types are available to injured workers depending on the circumstances.

Temporary Income Benefits

Temporary income benefits (TIBs) pay for job-related injuries and illnesses lasting longer than seven days. The payments you receive are 70 percent of the difference between your average weekly wage (AWW) before the electrocution accident and the income you currently earn due to your injury.

TIB payments will end under one of these circumstances:

• 104 weeks have passed since the eighth day of having a work-related injury
• You start earning your AWW again
• Your doctor determines you have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), meaning further medical intervention isn’t likely to improve your condition

Impairment Income Benefits

If your illness or injury affects your body as a whole, you are entitled to impairment income benefits (IIB). Payments are 70 percent of your AWW. You can collect benefits for a certain number of weeks based on your impairment rating.

An impairment rating is a percentage a doctor provides a patient to indicate an injury’s effects on their body. You get three weeks of benefits for each percentage point of your impairment rating.

For example, if your doctor says you have a 10 percent impairment rating, you can collect up to thirty weeks of benefit payments.

Supplemental Income Benefits

Supplemental income benefits (SIBs) begin when IIB payments end. You must meet multiple requirements to qualify for coverage:

• You haven’t returned to work or returned to work but earn less than 80 percent of your AWW due to your job-related injury
• You’re seeking employment
• You have an impairment rating of 15 percent or higher
• You haven’t accepted a lump-sum payment for your injury or illness

Lifetime Income Benefits

You could receive lifetime income benefits (LIBs) if the electrocution accident caused at least one of these injuries:

• Permanent and total loss of vision in both eyes
• Loss of both hands at or above the wrist
• Loss of one hand at or above the wrist and loss of one foot at or above the ankle
• Loss of both feet at or above the ankle
• A spinal injury causing permanent and complete paralysis of one leg and one arm, both legs, or both arms
• A physically traumatic injury to the brain leading to incurable imbecility or insanity
• Third-degree burns that cover the face and most of one hand or both hands
• Third-degree burns on at least 40 percent of the body and require grafting

LIB payments are 75 percent of your AWW and increase by three percent each year of your qualifying injury.

Burial and Death Benefits

Death and burial benefits are available for eligible family members, such as:

• A surviving spouse
• Children under 25 and currently enrolled in an accredited college or university
• Dependent grandchildren
• Minor children
• Other dependent family members
• Non-dependent parents if there aren’t other surviving dependent relatives

Burial benefits reimburse the person who pays for burial expenses. You must file a claim within twelve months of the worker’s death and include copies of the paid bills.

Death benefits start on the date after the worker’s death. As a surviving family member, the payments you receive are 75 percent of your loved one’s average weekly wage.

Contact Us

The DJF Law Firm, PLLC is ready to represent you in your case and pursue the workers’ compensation benefits you need to recover and move forward with your life. Our Houston workplace electrocution accident lawyers will be by your side every step of the way.

If you sustained an electrocution injury on the job, call The DJF Law Firm, PLLC at 832-529-3476 for your free consultation.