Accidents in the workplace are not uncommon, with government statistics showing that in 2019/20 as many as 693,000 people reported an injury at work. Injuries and ill-health are estimated to have cost over £16 billion in 2018/19. Suppose you were injured and you felt the accident that caused it happened because of somebody else’s negligence. If you are able to prove that a duty of care was breached, you could be owed compensation.
In this article, we aim to explain how you could start a claim for compensation against your employer, a private operator, or another road user. We examine an illustrative case study of someone who was electrocuted through no fault of their own. We also show how, with the help of a No Win No Fee personal injury lawyer, you could ensure your claim is filed in full.
Our guide explains the personal injury process step by step and shows you how to identify a duty of care. We also simplify and how the law defines that. We also provide links to all the relevant information you might need and demonstrate how your claim could be adequately valued.
Please feel free to call us on 0800 408 7825. Or, alternatively, drop us a line at Public Interest Lawyers where our friendly team is available 24/7. They’re happy to answer any questions about your claim.
Select a Section
- A Guide To Calculate Compensation For An Electric Shock Injury
- What Is An Electric Shock Injury?
- Examples Of Injury Financial Repercussions
- Common Electrocution Incidents
- Easy Explanation Of Care Claims
- Expert Electric Shock Settlement Amount Calculations For Victims
- Case Study: £20,000 Electric Shock Injury Compensation
- Who Is Eligible For Specialist Estimates?
- No Win No Fee Policy
- Find The Right Personal Injury Solicitors For An Electric Shock Settlement Amount?
- Call Our Experts To Find Out More
- Further Guidance On An Electric Shock Settlement Amount
A Guide To Calculate Compensation For An Electric Shock Injury
In this article, we hope to take some of the confusion or apprehension out of making a personal injury claim. We explain how liability works in three main areas:
- Accidents that happen in the workplace.
- Road traffic accidents (RTAs).
- Accidents that happen in public places.
Using our case study, we outline how someone suffered an accident that wasn’t their fault. You’ll find out how they established who had the duty of care regarding their safety in that environment. And, importantly how it was breached. We also describe what injuries were sustained as a result. We discuss the importance of a medical assessment. And, we’ll explain how your personal injury lawyer can use a medical report as evidence to seek the maximum electric shock settlement amount possible.
We’ll explain exactly what No Win No Fee is and how it could benefit you. We conclude this article with information about contacting a solicitor to handle your case if you want legal representation.
What Is An Electric Shock Injury?
Electric shock injuries occur when electrical energy flows through a person or part of their body. When you come into contact with an electrical energy source, variables (such as the type of current and amount of current) can cause anything from no injury at all to death. In serious circumstances, an electric shock injury could involve burns, deformity, broken bones or other damage to the body after being thrown from the electrical source by muscular contraction.
Proximity to electricity and electrical products is part of everyday life. Appliances are designed to be as safe as possible with built-in circuit breakers. If you suffered a severe electric shock at work, in a public place, or during a road traffic accident in order to make a valid claim you must prove negligence.
Duty of Care and Your Potential Electric Shock Settlement Amount
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 aims to protect your safety in the workplace as much as is reasonably possible and places stringent regulations on employers to comply with. You might also like to refer to the Health and Safety Executive’s website, which explains how to report an accident in the workplace properly.
Perhaps you were unlucky enough to be badly shocked by faulty electrics while in a public area. Whether you are shopping, at school, in the library or park, anywhere that is run by private operators or the local council must comply with the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. The Act seeks to ensure safety as much as possible to the general public.
The Highway Code is a set of rules and advice that asks road users to show a duty of care to each other. This means driving as safely as possible, whatever your level of experience or age. It also requires drivers to demonstrate due diligence at all times. This guide also urges road users to be mindful that not all drivers will show this level of care or standard of skill.
These laws and rules seek to protect your wellbeing, health and safety. Depending on where your injury happened, if you can prove that third-party negligence caused it, you could claim.
Examples Of Injury Financial Repercussions
It may be that you’ve already noticed a negative financial impact since your injuries. Therefore, if this is the case, it may have motivated you to seek an electric shock settlement amount you could potentially be owed. The resultant burns of an electric shock can be debilitating. Meaning you may need funds to cope with daily life. A No Win No Fee personal injury lawyer could help.
Your solicitor could seek special damages on your behalf. Special damages are a type of compensation that recognises the out-of-pocket costs and financial loss you may have endured. It may be that you’ve been unable to work as you recover or you need help at home with basic domestic tasks. Special damages seek to ensure that your finances do not continue to suffer as a consequence of your injuries. So long as you can prove your expenses (through bills, for example), you may be able to recover them.
Common Electrocution Incidents
Circuit breakers are built into most daily-use electronic products and need to be regularly tested. Any device that is old or operated through overloaded extension sockets can become an electric shock hazard. Any contact with water should be avoided. You can read more about electrical safety standards in the Government’s guidance.
People who are vulnerable to suffering severe electrocution include those who work closely with it, such as operatives on overhead power lines or sub-surface cabling. Anyone could come into contact with electricity and suffer injury. The Health and Safety Executive has information on maintaining electrical equipment safely.
If you suffered an electric shock and are seeking an electric shock settlement amount, our team of advisors could help. You can freephone them on the number at the top of this page.
Easy Explanation Of Care Claims
Exposure to high voltage electricity can be sufficient enough to cause severe burns. Depending on the part of the body that has come into contact with it, you may need extra care as you recover. Therefore, your compensation could acknowledge the costs of family help, provided that there is proof they had to care for you.
If you cannot rely on family or friends to help you cook, clean, food shop, and attend to personal care, it might be necessary to pay for professional help. This can be costly. These would be funds that you would have to cover. However, if your case was successful they could constitute part of your claim.
A No Win No Fee lawyer could advise you on collecting and recording all the receipts and invoices that prove these costs only came about as a result of the injuries you suffered during your accident. They could be presented as part of your case under special damages. Having evidence gives you the best chance of winning them back from the third party.
Expert Electric Shock Settlement Amount Calculations For Victims
A medical assessment is an integral part of your claim. A doctor would examine your injuries and listen to what happened to you in detail. They’d then provide their findings in a medical report. It’s essential that you can prove your injuries were a result of the accident. Your personal injury solicitor can use this as evidence when potentially seeking the two heads of compensation, which are also known as damages.
General damages can be awarded in accordance with guidelines set by the Judicial College. Their guide suggests parameters of compensation awards for an array of injuries. The amounts try to reflect the pain and suffering caused by injuries.
Special damages aim to reimburse you for the financial losses from your injury. Any out-of-pocket expense that can be proved as happening because of your injuries could be included. Loss of earnings, as well as, loss of work opportunities or attendance bonus. Travel expenses, modifications to your home or lifestyle, and any invoiced care costs can also be included.
Rather than relying on instant online personal injury claim calculators, call our team today for an accurate estimation. When the facts of your case are understood, your medical report is in and you can confidently prove financial loss your electric shock settlement amount can be calculated appropriately. Speak to our friendly team today to see how we could calculate yours.
Case Study: £20,000 Electric Shock Injury Compensation
As an operative for the local power company, Mr Smith was fully aware of his job’s risks and prided himself on never having had an accident at work. He scaled electricity pylons and outlets and maintain them throughout the winter months. He always followed the strict safety guidelines set for these tasks. If only colleagues from his team had done the same.
During routine maintenance of an electrical point, he received a severe shock that caused burns to his hand and forearm. He was rushed to the hospital for electric shock treatment after being hit by a high voltage. It transpired that his colleagues working on the pylon before him had not deactivated a vital circuit breaker, left it live, and gone home.
Seeking an Electric Shock Settlement Amount
Understandably, Mr Smith was furious about his accident. However, he recovered quite well. He realised the accident could have been much more severe. Electric shocks with a different amperage could have killed him outright or left him with severe internal organ injury. He decided to launch a compensation claim.
After consulting with a personal injury lawyer, he proceeded with a No Win No Fee case against his company that had caused his injuries. He won his case and was awarded £20,000 in his electric shock settlement amount.
This case is purely an example based on past experiences. It demonstrates how a No Win No Fee personal injury lawyer can accurately grasp the implications of your accident and the financial fall-out of your injuries.
Making a compensation claim can be possible to win the compensation that could help you recover financially, vindicate your rights and eventually put the whole thing behind you.
Below, we illustrate what the breakdown amounts awarded to Mr Smith in his electric shock settlement amount would look like:
General damages | Special damages |
---|---|
Burns and Scars to arm and hand awarded £11,850 | Mr Smith lost work opportunities and time at work totalling £5,000. |
Help from his wife who took time away from work £650 | |
He needed special medication and two sessions with a physiotherapist: £500 | |
He opted for plastic surgery not offered on NHS to help with the scarring on his hand: £2,000 |
Who Is Eligible For Specialist Estimates?
As you can see, incorporating both heads of damages could potentially maximise your payout. Whilst compensation is never guaranteed when you start a claim, and all cases are different, it’s possible to be awarded for pain and suffering, as well as, financial losses.
Finally, to find out if we could help estimate what you could be owed, get in touch. Our team is on-hand 24/7 and they offer free legal advice. Moreover, you’re under no pressure to continue with our services after discussing your claim. So, call or send a message through the live chat whenever you’re ready.
No Win No Fee Policy
You may be familiar with the term No Win No Fee, but what does it mean? And how could a No Win No Fee personal injury lawyer be right for you? No Win No Fee agreements or Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs) are an excellent way for people to access affordable legal advice and representation. Other benefits are:
- No fees to pay your solicitor upfront.
- Also, No fees to pay your solicitor while the case is ongoing.
- With, nothing to pay your solicitor if the case is unsuccessful.
- In addition, if your case wins, you only pay a success fee which is capped by law, leaving you with the bulk of your payout.
- Last but by no means least, legal advice and support throughout your case.
Call our team today for free advice on No Win No Fee Agreements.
Find The Right Personal Injury Solicitors For An Electric Shock Settlement Amount?
Many people looking for a No Win No Fee lawyer might start by searching the term online, which would generate thousands of results instantly. It could lead to a lot of time spent trawling through online reviews. However, reviews can give insight into how a firm of lawyers performs. For example, they can answer important questions such as:
- Do they under settle cases?
- Can they properly value a case for electric shock settlement amounts?
- How is their communication with clients?
All these questions are useful to ask yourself during your search.
Alternatively, you could contact us. Our panel of highly skilled personal injury solicitors can work remotely and are able to handle electric shock injury cases. If you speak to us, you can benefit from collective expertise regarding No Win No Fee cases.
Call Our Experts To Find Out More
Getting in touch is easy. And, our team is available 24/7 to take your call about your claim for serious electrocution or any other personal injury you may have suffered. You can:
- Call us directly on 0800 408 7825.
- Email us at Public Interest Lawyers.
- Speak to our live support chat window, bottom right.
We hope that this guide has been useful in helping you decide on whether to launch a personal injury claim. If you have any questions or are happy to proceed with your claim now, we look forward to helping you.
Further Guidance For An Electric Shock Settlement Amount
Firstly, take a look at our guide for further information about accident hot spots.
Secondly, we also have a guide on claims against the council.
Thirdly, we have a guide with information on accidents while out shopping.
Also, read more about using NHS services.
And finally, you can find further HSE statistics on workplace accidents.
St John Ambulance has great advice on emergency procedures following low-voltage electrocution.
Article by EA
Publisher UI.