Although electrocutions have become significantly less common in recent years, the consequences of being shocked are still devastating for too many San Jose residents.
While there’s not always an immediate solution to recovering from your electrocution, you should be able to take advantage of California personal injury law, which allows accident victims to recover compensation when someone else caused their injuries.
To help ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve, contact a San Jose electrocution lawyer at Golden State Lawyers, APC today.
Common Causes of Electrocution
Electrocutions can occur in almost any type of environment, but we’ve found that they are rather common in the workplace and on private property:
- Premises Liability Incidents – Let’s say you’re at a gathering at a San Jose club, and a frayed wire is left exposed on a machine that you touch, shocking you and leaving you hospitalized for a period of time. You might be able to file a premises liability suit against the establishment, as long as you can prove that the property’s owner was negligent, and that negligence caused your injuries.
- Work Accidents – Similarly, you may be exposed to a frayed wire at your job, or you could be a line worker who was electrocuted while working on a San Jose utility pole. Many employees make the mistake of believing they must accept often insufficient workers compensation benefits, but under the right circumstances, you can often sue for additional compensation.
It’s also important to note that many electrocutions are caused by consumer products.
While electrocutions have indeed become less common in the past couple of decades, they should be taken very seriously when they do occur.
How the Law Applies to Your San Jose Electrocution Case
Fundamental to winning an electrocution claim is understanding certain elements of personal injury law in California. You should first familiarize yourself with the standard of comparative negligence, which California uses in personal injury cases.
Comparative negligence, in the simplest terms, makes it so multiple parties can hold liability in an electrocution case. For example, if a judge or jury finds you partially negligent, they may assign you 20 percent liability. This apportionment of blame would ultimately result in you only receiving 80 percent of your total potential damages.
Another concept you will need to be aware of is California’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases, which is two years.
Common Injuries Associated with Electrocution
Some common injuries that result from being electrocuted include the following:
- Burns
- Bone breaks and fractures
- Amputations
- Loss of consciousness
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Eye and brain injury
- Heart injuries
- Death
In your San Jose electrocution case, you will want to document how your injuries have made you the victim of various losses.
Examples of electrocution damages for which you could be compensated include medical expenses, lost wages or earning potential, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and diminished quality of life.
Contact a San Jose Electrocution Attorney
If you’ve been the victim of electrocution, it’s vitally important that you don’t wait by the sidelines in the hope that your physical, emotional, and financial health will improve without any action on your part.
You need compensation to move forward, and you probably need it quickly. To help ensure you receive the damages you deserve, contact a San Jose electrocution lawyer at Golden State Lawyers, APC today. Call our firm at 408-279-4222 or reach out via the online contact form at the bottom of the page.