If you were shocked, severely burned, or otherwise hurt in an electrical accident, the damage is not always obvious right away. You may be dealing with pain, missed work, hospital visits, and a lot of uncertainty at the same time.
At Larry Pitt & Associates, we help electrocution victims and their families across Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania understand what steps matter next and what compensation may be available.
What should you know right away after an electrocution accident?
If you were hurt in an electrocution accident at work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits in Pennsylvania even if no one meant to hurt you. Those benefits can cover medical care and partial wage loss.
If someone other than your employer caused the accident, you may also have a separate third-party personal injury claim for additional damages. Pennsylvania workers generally must give notice of a work injury within 120 days, and earlier notice can matter.
How do electrocution accidents happen on the job?
Electrical accidents are often preventable. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies several common causes of serious injuries in the workplace, including contact with power lines, lack of ground-fault protection, missing or broken ground paths, equipment not used as intended, and improper use of extension cords. OSHA also stresses that training and safe work practices are part of preventing these incidents.
In real life, that can mean exposed wiring on a construction site, faulty equipment in a warehouse, damaged cords in a hospitality setting, or energized equipment that should have been de-energized before work began. It can also involve direct or indirect contact with overhead power lines, especially for construction workers, electrical workers, roofers, painters, and anyone using ladders, scaffolding, lifts, or long conductive tools near live lines.
What injuries can an electrical shock cause?
An electrocution injury can be much more serious than it looks from the outside. Some people have visible burns. Others have internal burns, cardiac problems, nerve damage, breathing problems, brain injury, or other injuries caused by electrical current passing through the body. Falls after an electric shock can also lead to broken bones, head trauma, or secondary injuries.
Common electrical injuries include:
- External and internal burns
- Cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrest
- Nerve damage and neurological symptoms
- Respiratory failure or breathing problems
- Brain injury or cognitive problems
- Amputation or permanent disability in severe cases
That is one reason quick medical treatment matters. A worker may feel shaken up and try to tough it out, only to learn later that the electrical source caused much more damage than they realized.
What should you do after an electric shock accident at work?
The first step is to get medical care. After that, protect the claim.
Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. Pennsylvania workers’ compensation laws allow up to 120 days in many cases, but waiting can create problems and delay benefits. Compensation is not due until notice is given, and missing the 120-day deadline can block the claim entirely.
Tell the truth about how it happened. Be clear about where the accident occurred, what personal protective equipment was involved, and whether there were live wires, exposed wiring, defective equipment, power lines, or missing safety protection.
Get ongoing treatment and follow medical advice. Electrical shock injuries can involve delayed symptoms. Keep records of appointments, work restrictions, and out-of-pocket costs.
Do not assume workers’ compensation is your only option. If someone else’s negligence played a role, there may be a personal injury claim in addition to workers’ compensation.
How does workers’ compensation apply in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. If you were hurt in the course of your job, you may be eligible for benefits without proving your employer was careless. In exchange, workers generally cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against the employer for the same work injury.
Workers’ compensation benefits may include:
- Medical expenses related to the electrocution injury
- Wage-loss benefits if you cannot work or cannot earn what you earned before
- Specific loss benefits in some cases
- Death benefits for surviving family members after a fatal injury
This matters because many injured workers assume they need to prove fault before they can recover compensation. In a workers’ compensation claim, that is usually not the issue. The real fight is often over whether the injury is taken seriously, whether treatment is approved, and whether wage-loss benefits are paid correctly.
When can you file a third-party personal injury claim?
Even though you usually cannot sue your employer for a workplace electrocution injury, you may be able to bring a third-party personal injury claim when a separate person or company caused the accident. That may include an equipment manufacturer, property owner, contractor, subcontractor, utility company, or another responsible third party, depending on the circumstances.
In many cases, electrocution injuries involve defective equipment, unsafe jobsite conditions, or the actions of a third party.
A third-party personal injury claim may allow recovery for losses that workers’ compensation does not fully cover, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Full lost wages in some situations
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Wrongful death damages for surviving family members
These cases often turn on how the accident happened, what safety standards were ignored, whether there were code violations, and who controlled the dangerous condition.
Why early legal review matters in an electrocution case
Electrical injury cases are not always simple. The most serious harm may be internal. Liability may involve more than one company. Evidence can disappear fast on a construction site or after equipment is repaired, moved, or discarded.
A strong case may require a review of accident reports, photographs, job site conditions, OSHA-related issues, medical records, witness statements, and the chain of responsibility for the equipment or property involved.
Getting early guidance from an experienced electrocution accident attorney can help preserve evidence and prevent the insurance company from shaping the story before the full picture is known.
How long do you have to file a claim or lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
For a workplace injury, the workers’ compensation notice rule is critical. That matters because a worker generally must give notice within 120 days.
For a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit in Pennsylvania, the general statute of limitations is two years. If the claim is against a government unit, Pennsylvania law also imposes a notice requirement that can apply within six months.
Deadlines can depend on the exact facts, so it is smart to get the timeline reviewed early rather than guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue my employer after an electrocution accident at work?
Usually no. In Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against the employer for a work injury. But if a third party caused or contributed to the accident, you may still have a separate personal injury claim against that non-employer party.
What if I did not realize how serious the electrical injury was at first?
That happens often. Electrical injuries can involve life-altering injuries such as internal burns, nerve damage, cardiac issues, or delayed symptoms that are not obvious at the scene. Seek medical attention and report the injury as soon as possible to protect the claim.
What if power lines were involved?
Overhead power lines are among the electrical hazards OSHA specifically identifies as frequent causes of severe injuries. Cases involving high-voltage wires or utility-related hazards can quickly become complex, especially when multiple contractors or site managers are involved.
What compensation may be available after an electrical accident?
That depends on whether the case is workers’ compensation only or also involves a third-party claim. Workers’ compensation may cover medical treatment and wage-loss benefits. A third-party claim may allow broader recovery, including pain and suffering and other damages not available through workers’ comp.
GET A FREE CONSULTATION WITH LARRY PITT
Talk to the Electrocution Injury Lawyers at Larry Pitt & Associates
If you were hurt in an electric shock or electrocution accident in Philadelphia or anywhere in Southeastern Pennsylvania, do not assume the insurance company is handling it correctly. A quick review with our Philadelphia electrocution lawyers can help you understand whether workers’ compensation benefits, a third-party personal injury claim, or both may apply.
Call Larry Pitt & Associates for a free consultation at 888-PITT-LAW or reach out through the contact form. When you are hurt, out of work, and trying to figure out what comes next, we are ready to help.
We represent injured victims in Philadelphia and throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, including Reading, Allentown, Upper Darby, Media, West Chester, Chester, and Norristown.
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