Electrical injuries can range from mild to fatal, depending on the circumstances. Especially in the construction industry, workers can be seriously injured or killed by electrical wires or equipment. When these accidents happen at work, the injured person or their surviving dependents will need to file a workers’ compensation claim.
A Greenville workplace electrocution lawyer could help you navigate this process. Since filing a claim when you are already suffering from a loss or injury can be overwhelming, our attorneys could make it much easier.
What Types of Electrical Injuries Can Happen in the Workplace?
Construction workers have the biggest risk of electrocution, but electrical injuries can happen in any industry. Injuries can happen because of workers coming into either direct or indirect contact with a power line, accidents involving electrical equipment, and incorrectly installed electrical systems or equipment like faulty wiring or improper grounding. These accidents can cause injuries like burns, heart problems, and even death. Workers who suffer electric shocks while at the top of a ladder can also fall because of the shock and incur injuries like broken bones and head trauma.
The terminology around electrical injuries can be inconsistent. Sometimes, electrocution is used to refer specifically to a fatal electric shock, but sometimes it is used to describe a serious electrical injury more broadly.
Are Workers’ Compensation Benefits Available for Electrocutions?
Employees who are injured in the course of their jobs and unable to work can receive workers’ compensation benefits that pay a portion of their lost wages.
Workers’ compensation for injured employees includes medical expenses and a weekly payment for lost wages. Employees need to see a doctor approved by their employer to have their costs covered. While this doctor says that they are unable to work, the injured employee will receive two-thirds of their average weekly pay. Electrical injuries can cause permanent damage. However, the maximum amount of time a worker can receive benefits is 500 weeks. If the injured person can work but only some of their regular hours or in a lower-paying position than their regular role, they can receive partial disability benefits. These are two-thirds of the difference between the temporary wages and the worker’s average regular wages.
A Greenville workplace electrocution attorney could help ensure injured workers receive the benefits they deserve.
Death Benefits After a Fatal Electrical Injury
Surviving spouses and dependent children of a worker who was killed on the job can also receive death benefits. A workplace electric shock injury lawyer in Greenville could provide guidance and support throughout this difficult process.
South Carolina Code § 42-9-110 states that spouses and children are automatically considered to be dependents, so they are eligible for death benefits. Adult children who are full-time students or disabled and incapable of supporting themselves can also be considered dependents for this purpose. Death benefits are usually two-thirds of the employee’s average salary, paid weekly for up to 500 weeks. Survivors can also receive up to $12,000 for funeral expenses.
Talk to a Greenville Lawyer About Your Workplace Electrocution Accident Today
If you or a loved one was involved in an on-the-job electrical accident, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Understanding the process can be difficult, especially when you are already dealing with grief or a serious injury.
Working with a Greenville workplace electrocution lawyer could help you understand what to expect, file any required paperwork within the required timelines, and get all of the compensation you qualify for.
Eller Frye Law Firm starts the process with a free consultation. Contact us to schedule yours today.
(864)-686-4827