Electrocution & Workers' Compensation in Kentucky

Electrocution injuries in the workplace are a serious risk to workers’ health. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies electrocution as one of the “fatal four” accident types, contributing to dozens of worker deaths per year.

When electrocution doesn’t cause death, the resulting injuries are often serious and have long-lasting consequences.

At the law office of Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, our electrocution injury lawyers understand the devastating risks of working with electricity. We want to make sure that your rights are protected if you suffer an electric shock at work.

It takes Kentucky Courage to fight for the rights of injured workers. We are ready to stand up for you. If you have questions about workers’ compensation following an electrocution injury or the injury or death of a loved one, please call our Kentucky workers’ compensation lawyers now for a free consultation.

How a Workers’ Comp Lawyer Can Help with an Electrocution Claim

If you are injured at work in an electricity-involved accident, you are likely facing very serious injuries including long-term disabilities. In addition to these injuries, you’re probably also facing high medical bills, as well as the potential of lost wages and earnings over decades.

These losses can feel staggering, and you may be unsure how to recover compensation for them.

A workers’ compensation lawyer can help by explaining to you your rights and options, including your right to benefits from workers’ compensation, as well as the potential of filing a third-party liability lawsuit.

Your attorney can build a case to prove that your injuries occurred during your employment, and therefore are covered under workers’ compensation.

Further, an attorney can represent you throughout the claims process, helping you to understand what your case is worth and whether a settlement offer is fair. Your attorney can negotiate on your behalf to recover the maximum compensation award possible.

If your claim is rejected or undervalued, your lawyer will be prepared to fight for you during hearings and appeals.

Types of Electrocution Workers’ Compensation

If you are pursuing an electric shock settlement from workers’ compensation insurance, it’s important that you know what types of benefits are provided under workers’ compensation in our state.

Types of benefits that are available in a Kentucky workers’ compensation claim include:

• Medical benefits. All medical costs that are related to the injury and that are “reasonable and necessary” are paid by workers’ compensation.
• Temporary total disability benefits. If you are unable to return to work for more than seven days, temporary total disability benefits may be paid during the period that your doctor determines that you are unable to return to some type of work.
• Permanent partial disability. If you have reached maximum medical improvement (the greatest degree to which are you expected to recover) but still suffer from some degree of permanent impairment that prevents you from performing the same type of work that you did prior to your injury, you may be entitled to permanent partial disability benefits.
• Permanent total disability. If you are permanently totally disabled, which means that you are unable to perform any type of work as a result of your workplace electrocution injury, you may be eligible for permanent total disability benefits.
• Death and burial benefits. For surviving family members of those who are killed in workplace accidents, death and burial benefits may be available.

Can You File an Electric Shock Lawsuit?

In the majority of cases, workers who are injured at work will be limited to workers’ compensation. Under the workers’ compensation system, workers are entitled to no-fault benefits in exchange for employer immunity.

In other words, injured employees are barred from filing a lawsuit directly against their employer for compensation, but they don’t have to prove that their employer did anything wrong.

There are some cases where filing a third-party lawsuit is possible. A third-party lawsuit is a case that is filed against someone other than the employer or a co-worker whose negligence caused or contributed to the worker’s accident and injuries.

For example, if your injuries were the result of a defective piece of equipment, then you may be able to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer of that equipment.

By filing a third-party liability suit, you can seek compensation for the full value of your losses, including compensation for pain and suffering.

Common Types of Electrocution Work Injuries in Kentucky

According to OSHA, an electrical hazard can be defined as a serious workplace hazard that exposes workers to the following:

Burns are the most common type of shock-related injury. A burn that involves electricity can be classified as either a thermal contact burn, arc/flash burn, or electrical burn.

Shock is another type of electrical hazard-related injury. In a shock incident, the body becomes part of the electrical circuit. In a shock injury, the body has a reflex response to the passage of electrical current through the body.

What to Do If You’ve Been Hurt by an Electric Shock at Work

Suffering an electrocution work injury can be terrifying, whether you are the victim who is left with severe long-term harm, or the surviving family member of a worker who is killed as a result of the accident.

If you are hurt at work, it’s critical that you report the accident to your supervisor immediately, seek medical care, and record the details of your injury. You should follow your doctor’s instructions, follow up with your employer to ensure that they have reported your injury to the workers’ compensation insurer, and call an attorney.

A workers’ compensation attorney can help you pursue an electric shock settlement. Because a workers’ compensation lawyer works on a contingency fee basis, you will not face any out-of-pocket costs.

Talk to a Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Attorney Now

Pursuing an electric shock lawsuit on your own can be intimidating, and may not yield the results that you’re hoping for. Instead, you should partner with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer who has worked on cases like yours in the past.

At the law offices of Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, our Kentucky workers’ compensation lawyers can help you pursue the settlement that you deserve. Please contact us today to learn more about our services and your options for recovery.