New Jersey Electrical Injuries Lawyer

When a person comes into direct contact with electricity, it surges through the body, often leaving behind serious injuries and burns. One of the most common locations where electric shock injuries occur is construction sites. Construction sites are inherently dangerous places with many possible causes of electric shock. These causes include malfunctioning equipment, live wires, or improper safety training by property owners or contractors. 

New Jersey law requires property owners and contractors to provide employees with safety training, as well as safeguard against any hazardous situations or areas. Construction sites with any electrical hazards must be properly marked and closed off to ensure the safety of anyone passing by.

The New Jersey electrical injuries attorneys at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm are prepared to deal with any form of electrical shock or electrical burn injury. If you have been affected by an electric shock accident, our lawyers can help you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Electrical Injury Statistics

Approximately 1,000 people die in the United States each year from electrical injuries. Lightning strikes cause between 50 and 300 deaths each year. More common are high-voltage electrical injuries, which cause about 400 deaths each year. Nearly 30,000 people suffer non-fatal electrical injuries annually in the US.

About five percent of all burn unit patients admitted each year suffered electrical injuries. Adults who experience electrical injuries typically experience them in work-related situations. Electrical injuries are the fourth most common cause of death in US workplaces.

Types of Electrical Injuries

There are four categories of electrical injury types: flash, flame, lightning, and true.

• Flash injuries are caused by arc flash. They are typically mild injuries or burns. In a flash injury, an electrical current may touch the skin, but it does not enter the body.
• Flame injuries occur when an arc flash sets clothing on fire. Injuries usually result from the fire, not from the electricity itself. 
• Lightning injuries involve a current passing through the body, similar to the way a lightning strike passes through air. These injuries are typically caused by short, high-voltage electrical energy.
• True electrical injuries result when a person’s body becomes part of an electrical circuit. These injuries can be system-wide and are often fatal. 

A person can experience more than one type of electrical injury in a single accident. For example, flame injuries may be combined with flash, lightning, or true injuries, resulting in both thermal and electrical burns. Electric shock injuries can be very traumatic. Below are just some examples of the possible injuries that can come about from electrocution:

• Shortness of breath
• Cardiac arrest from the electric current passing through the heart
• Severe burns along the path of the current, especially at entry and exit locations
• Nerve, tissue, and muscle damage
• Death

The severity of an electrical injury depends on several factors. The type of current, the voltage, and the resistance of the current all influence the total damage that occurs to the body. High voltage and high resistance are frequently associated with more severe injuries. However, at least one study revealed that researchers may underestimate the number of deaths caused by low-voltage electrical injuries. 

Nearly all electrical injuries are preventable. Because the severity of the injuries are often caused by electrocution, it is important to have a strong and experienced personal injury lawyer to help guide you through the legal process.

Work-Related Electrical Injuries

Electrical injuries are the fourth most common cause of death in US workplaces each year. The CDC recognizes four categories of workplace electrical injuries: 

• Electrocution
• Electric shock
• Burns or arc blast
• Falls from height

Electrocution corresponds to “true” electrical injuries, while electric shock is most commonly a “lightning” type injury. Burns or arc blasts are flash or flame injuries. The fourth category occurs when an electrical shock knocks a worker from a ladder or other height. In these accidents, a worker can be seriously or fatally injured by an electrical injury, a fall, or a combination of the two events. 

Construction Site Electrical Injuries

Construction has topped the list of workplaces with high electrical injury and death rates for many years. From 2018 to 2022, the CDC identified construction as one of the top two or three industries for electrical injuries and deaths.

Exposure to electrical injuries and deaths in construction has dropped since the 1970s. However, approximately 5,222 people have died from workplace electrical injuries since 2015, with most deaths occurring in the construction and utility industries.

The most common causes of electrical injuries and deaths on construction sites include:

• Contact with overhead power lines: 42.8 percent
• Unexpected contact with electricity: 19.3 percent
• Contact with energized equipment: 12.7 percent
• Working on energized parts: 4.1 percent
• Ground faults: 4.0 percent
• Damaged wiring and equipment: 3.1 percent. 

Between 2011 and 2023, 855 construction workers died due to contact with electricity. 

Electrical Injuries in Manufacturing, Food Service, Offices, and Other Workplaces

Seventy-four percent of fatal electrical injuries in US workplaces occur in industries that don’t directly deal with electricity. These include manufacturing, transportation, food services, offices, and other venues. 

Between 2011 and 2023, the construction industry had the highest rate of electricity-related deaths at 855, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). Other industries with a high rate of electricity-related fatalities included:

• Professional and business services: 212 deaths
• Transportation: 155 deaths
• Natural resources and mining: 138 deaths
• Manufacturing: 120 deaths.

Workers in these industries can be exposed to energized equipment, faulty wiring, and other risks, just as construction workers are. Workers in offices and other workspaces may also suffer electricity-related injuries if they come in contact with defective equipment or tools. A hidden defect in a power tool, office photocopier, or any other electrical equipment can result in serious injuries. 

If you are injured by a hidden defect, you may be able to seek compensation from the manufacturer or designer of the item. Speak to an experienced attorney to learn more. 

Electrical Injuries in Work-Related Auto Accidents

The transportation (trucking) industry experiences a high number of electrical injuries and deaths each year. Often, such injuries occur when a truck or other vehicle comes into contact with overhead power lines. Those who drive vehicles near utility lines, construction sites, manufacturing plants, and similar venues may encounter overhead power lines. Delivery drivers may also encounter low-hanging lines in residential areas which may lead to an electrical accident. 

When a worker is injured on-the-job, they may have the option to file a workers’ compensation claim and/or a third-party personal injury claim if the worker’s injury was due to negligence on the part of another party. In a third-party claim, the person or entity responsible for the worker’s injury is known as the “third-party” or “at-fault party.”

Third-party liability claims allow workers to recover personal injury compensation beyond the financial support workers’ compensation offers, including damages for pain and suffering. At the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm, we thoroughly investigate your injury claim to identify all responsible parties and secure the maximum compensation available for your recovery.

Electrical Injuries at a Public Venue

US workers aren’t the only ones who may suffer electrical injuries. Visitors to a store or other business or public venue may also experience electrical injuries. Common sources of injuries may include:

• Exposed wiring
• Defective, broken, or improperly maintained equipment with live electrical current
• Failure to warn visitors about ongoing repairs or other issues involving electrical wiring

New Jersey businesses have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors. If they cannot immediately fix a problem, they must warn visitors about the danger; e.g., wet floor signage, cones around hazardous conditions, caution tape, etc. 

If you’ve been injured due to an electrical accident while visiting a business or public venue, talk to an experienced New Jersey electrical injury lawyer today. An attorney can help you understand your legal rights and fight for the compensation you are entitled to. 

Contact a New Jersey Electrical Injuries Lawyer Today

If you, or someone you love, has been seriously injured by any type of electrical injury, or sadly passed away due to an electrical accident, you should immediately seek the help of an experienced Electrical Injury lawyer right away. The attorneys at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm understand how traumatic electrical injuries can be, and we will do everything we can to help you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to. Whether you suffered an electrical injury at work, on a construction site, or in a public setting, our lawyers are prepared and will be dedicated to protecting your rights. Electrocution injuries are often the result of negligence, and our experienced attorneys will work aggressively to get you the compensation you deserve.

Our New Jersey workers’ compensation attorneys have over 35 years of experience aggressively representing construction, manufacturing, and warehouse workers seriously injured while on-the-job. Our personal injury lawyers have also assisted workers in their third-party claims involved in all types of accident claims, including slip and fall accidents, dog bite attacks, car accidents, etc. We have successfully handled thousands of claims involving injured New Jersey workers, recovering over $100 million for our clients.

Whether it be through a workers’ comp claim and/or a third-party personal injury case, our worker’s compensation and personal injury lawyers will help you navigate the complexities of the process, so you can focus on your recovery. To learn more about how we can help you pursue a workers’ compensation claim, give us a call today at (973) 920-7900 to request a FREE and confidential consultation. You can also connect with us through our online form. There is never a fee unless we win. We have two conveniently located offices in Denville and Morristown, New Jersey.