Boston Injury Attorney Blog
A recent Boston Globe article detailing injuries sustained by a Quincy, Massachusetts worker who had fallen after he was electrocuted and slipped should serve as a reminder to workers, job site inspectors, supervisors, and all, that workplace safety cannot be overlooked.
Unfortunately, accidents of this sort are not uncommon, in Massachusetts and nationwide. In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), electrocution injuries were involved in 10% of construction site fatalities, and in a higher percentage of general accidents that occur at the workplace.
Many victims and their families have unfortunately experienced the devastating effects of an electrical accident injury or fatality. In nearly every neighborhood in Massachusetts and throughout the United States, there exists high voltage electricity. If a victim comes in contact with this electricity, death or severe electrical burns causing disfigurement and permanent disability can occur.
Companies and Landlords Must Adhere to Strict Safety Standards: Because of the extreme danger high voltage electricity presents, power companies, construction companies, landlords, premises owners, business owners, and others must strictly adhere to established safety rules and standards. When these rules are not followed and electrocution occurs, the at-fault party should be held liable for their negligence or failure to take reasonable measures to protect the safety of others and wrongful death or injury results.
Even if You Are Partially Liable, You Have Legal Redress: Let’s face it–nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes from time to time and it’s possible an error played a role in your injury or the victim’s wrongful death. Even if this is the case, a company or property owner is not entirely excused from liability if their negligence also played a role in the electrical accident.
Power Lines are Exceptionally Dangerous: Power lines, especially electric utility transmission lines, present extraordinary danger to construction workers, electric utility workers, and everyday people. Sometimes, voltage can reach over 100,000 volts, where you don’t even need to directly touch a conductor to be electrocuted and severely injured or killed. Power lines found in common neighborhoods, while still very dangerous, have a somewhat lessened voltage. Still, though, workers, children, pets, and everyday people need to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings. MBTA workers and commuters, in particular, should always be mindful of the third rail, which carries a consistently high voltage charge to keep trains running.
Premises Liability is a Factor: Electrical lines and other sources of electricity located on a construction site, business, landowner’s property, apartment building, etc. can lead to premises liability for injuries or death sustained by a worker or person if reasonable measures were not taken to prevent the event and such negligence resulted in the injury.
Electrocution cases are often vigorously defended, because of the typically large amount of money on the line. Often, big construction companies and businesses will try to avoid liability by shifting fault and negligence. We have successfully prosecuted electrical accident cases for many years. Contact the experienced Boston personal injury attorneys today at 617-225-2100 for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.