Employers have a legal duty of care to ensure that any electrical equipment is well maintained and safe for employees to use. Therefore, if you suffer an electric shock at work and believe it was caused by your employer’s negligence you may be eligible to claim compensation for your injuries.

This guide on electric shock at work claims provides advice on what types of incidents could lead to a claim, how you could claim compensation against your employer, and how much compensation you could claim.

If you are thinking about making a claim, we can help. Our no-obligation consultation provides the opportunity for you to ask any questions about making a claim. You’ll be given free advice on your options after your advisor has reviewed the case with you. If they believe that you should be compensated, they’ll connect you with a personal injury solicitor from our team. If they decide to represent you, they’ll work on a No Win No Fee basis.

To find out more about claiming compensation for electric shock at work, please read on. Alternatively, please feel free to call us on 0800 6524 881 if you’d like to talk to us right away.

Am I Eligible To Make An Electric Shock At Work Compensation Claim?

If you’ve suffered an electric shock at work, one of our personal injury solicitors might agree to represent you if you have a reasonable chance of winning your claim. The criteria they’ll check when assessing your chances include:

• Did your employer breach their duty of care as set out by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 through an act of negligence; and
• Did you suffer an electric shock at work because of that negligence; and
• Were you left injured by the electric shock?

If you’ve answered yes to all three statements, you may well be eligible to claim compensation for your suffering.

Negligence Leading To Electric Shock At Work Claims

Your employer is legally obliged to try and keep the workplace as safe as possible. Of course, there’s no way of removing all elements of risk but when electricity is involved, your employer should do all they can to keep their employees safe. Some examples of negligence that could lead to an electric shock at work claim include:

• Lack of maintenance of electrical equipment.
• Failure to conduct regular PAT tests on electrical devices.
• Poor safety training.
• Inadequate, damaged, or perished Personal Protective Equipment (PPE claims).
• Failure to repair damaged electrical equipment or a failure to use a qualified electrician to carry out repairs.

Common Causes Of Electric Shocks In The Workplace

Some of the most common causes of workplace electric shock injuries include:

• Inadequate earthing. Where an appliance or device is not ‘earthed’ properly, it can cause electricity to flow through the device and anybody who comes in to contact with it.
• Exposed wires. If a cable is damaged, anybody who touches the exposed wiring could suffer an electric shock at work.
• Poor installation. Where workplace electrical equipment is not installed correctly or according to the manufacturer’s guidelines, the risk of electric shock at work can increase.
• Exposure to water. As mentioned earlier, the risk of workplace electric shock injuries can increase where water and electricity mix. This can occur if an electrical device is affected by a leak or a spillage.

If you have suffered an electric shock at work and believe your injuries were caused by your employer’s negligence, please get in touch to discuss your options. Importantly, you cannot be fired or disciplined for suing your employer so don’t be put off from claiming the compensation that you might be entitled to.

How Much Compensation For An Electric Shock At Work Could I Claim?

If you proceed with a claim following an electric shock at work, you’ll need to base how much compensation you can claim on any suffering you’ve endured (general damages) and any associated financial losses or expenses (special damages).

What you can claim will depend on your circumstances but, in principle, compensation could be claimed for:

• The physical suffering your injuries have caused.
• Any emotional distress caused by the incident.
• The impact the injury from the electric shock at work has or has had on your normal activities and hobbies.
• Medical expenses that could include private medical treatment.
• Care costs if you had to be looked after during your recovery.
• Travel-related expenses.
• Loss of earnings if you needed unpaid time off work.
• Future loss of earnings where longer-term issues from your injury impact job opportunities or pay rises, for example.
• Home adaptations if the electric shock resulted in any form of disability and the changes will make things easier for you.

Our solicitors will always try to secure as much compensation as possible to cover your suffering if you’ve suffered an electric shock at work and they agree to represent you.

Electric Shock At Work Compensation Calculator

To give you some idea about payout amounts for an electric shock injury, please take a look at our compensation calculator below. Please bear in mind that the figures in our compensation calculator are guidelines only (based on Judicial College guidelines) and are not guaranteed.

All work injury claims are unique and any compensation awarded is based primarily on the severity and impact of your injuries. Therefore, to properly help establish how you’ve suffered, a medical assessment will be required as part of the claims process. This will be with an independent medical specialist. They’ll discuss the effects of your injuries with you, assess your injuries and read your medical notes.

After the meeting, your solicitor will be sent a report to outline your injuries and prognosis. This will then allow them to calculate the amount of compensation you’ll claim if you’re eligible.

Evidence To Support An Electric Shock At Work Compensation Claim

It is quite likely that your employer will pass your compensation claim straight to their insurance company which is likely to deny liability for the accident right from the start. Therefore, obtaining as much evidence as possible to prove who caused your electric shock at work and how your injuries have affected you. The sort of evidence that can help in electric shock at work claims include:

• Photographs of the cause of the accident i.e. damaged equipment or exposed wires.
• Security camera footage of the accident happening.
• Medical records from the hospital that examined and treated your electric shock injuries.
• Details of any witnesses in case your solicitor needs a statement of what they saw.
• A copy of the accident report form relating to your accident.
• Investigation reports if the Health and Safety Executive reviewed the incident.
• Details of any financial costs you’ve incurred as a result of your injuries.

If you’re not sure if you have enough evidence to support your electric shock at work claim, call us and check with one of our specially trained advisors.

Time Limits For Filing An Electric Shock At Work Claim

If you’ve suffered an electric shock at work, you’ll have 3-years to begin your compensation claim. In most cases, this will start from the date of the accident in which you were injured. However, it might alternatively start from the date your injury was diagnosed if it was not until some time after the incident.

The claims process can be settled fairly quickly if your employer accepts liability and you’ve fully recovered. This could result in compensation being paid in around 6 to 9 months. Where your prognosis is not fully understood or more investigation into the cause of your injuries is needed, the claim could take longer than a year.

Fatal Electric Shock At Work Claims

We appreciate that if you’ve lost a loved one after they were electrocuted at work, no amount of compensation will make things better. However, there may come a time when you decide to claim for the financial impact of your loss.

Our solicitors can help you to make a fatal accident claim if you were financially dependent on the deceased or for any expenses associated with their death such as funeral costs. Please get in touch if you’d like free advice on how to claim.

Starting An Electric Shock At Work Claim

Thanks for reading our guide claiming compensation for electric shock at work. If you would like to begin the claims process and would like us to help, please get in touch on 0800 6524 881 today.

Your claim will be reviewed for free and we’ll provide legal advice on your options. If your electric shock at work claim is taken on by one of our solicitors, they’ll provide a No Win No Fee service so you’ll only pay legal fees if you are compensated.