Construction Accidents and Electrocution
Construction sites typically have heavy equipment, machinery, electrical components, and other hazards. As a result, this line of work consistently ranks as one with the highest number of accidents and injuries each year.
Construction accidents involving electrocution are a particular concern for construction workers. Electrocution can cause catastrophic or deadly injuries. Victims of electrocution accidents in the Oklahoma City, OK area can work with the construction accident attorneys at The Tawwater Law Firm to see if they are due financial compensation for related damages.
Types of Electrocution Accidents
Workers on construction sites are frequently exposed to live wires. They are also often required to handle equipment or other devices that have live electricity running through them. Although there should be training and appropriate safety measures taken to minimize the risk of construction site accidents, electrocution injuries still occur. The most common types of electrocution accidents to cause injuries for our Oklahoma City clients are:
- Contact with overhead power lines
- Contact with transformers
- Contact with live wires
- Contact with electrical currents running through tools or machinery
Electrocution: A Fatal Four Construction Accident
Unfortunately, a number of electrocution accidents result in death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, recognizes electrocution as one of the “Fatal Four” construction accidents. Along with falls, caught-betweens, and being struck by an object, electrocutions are one of the four deadliest accidents to occur on construction sites.
Based on numbers reported by OSHA for 2018, electrocution was the third deadliest type of construction accident for the year. 86 private sector construction workers were killed in electrocutions in 2018, which accounted for 8.5 percent of construction deaths that year. Combined, the fatal four construction accidents accounted for more than half (58.6 percent) of the total construction accident deaths for the year.
Injury Damages
Electrocutions can result in severe injuries, such as burns, breathing problems, heart damage, and compression syndrome (a condition that damages the muscles in the limbs, causing them to swell and potentially compress the arteries). Anyone who experiences electrocution will require immediate medical attention. Many of our Oklahoma City clients also need continual follow-up care or long-term treatment and rehabilitation.
The physical injuries caused by electrocution are obvious, but there are financial damages to consider as well. Electrocution victims may be burdened by monetary losses related to:
- Cost of hospital stays
- Expense of medical treatment
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of wage-earning potential
If a construction worker is killed in an electrocution accident, surviving loved ones will be left to deal with the emotional and financial damages. On top of the previously mentioned losses, family members left behind after an electrocution death may suffer losses related to:
- Funeral expenses
- Loss of financial support
- Loss of benefits
- Loss of companionship
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident involving electrocution, you may be due financial compensation for resulting damages. To learn more about your legal options after such an accident, send a message to our team of knowledgeable attorneys at The Tawwater Law Firm or call us at (405) 673-8021.