Welcome to our guide about electric shock at work claims for compensation. An accident at work involving electricity can cause serious and life-altering injuries and greatly impact your ability to face the future. So if the accident was caused by employer negligence, you could be compensated for your losses.
Key Takeaways
- You are owed a duty of care from your employer which if they breach, can entitle you to start a claim for the physical, psychological and financial harm caused by an electric shock.
- There is a time limit in which to start personal injury claims but you might still be eligible to seek compensation beyond this. Also, you could be eligible to make electrocution claims on behalf of loved ones.
- You cannot be sacked for starting a compensation claim against your employer.
- Evidence can strengthen a personal injury claim like this and gathering it is often more straightforward than you might think.
- The solicitors on our panel help people launch electric shock at work accident claims using a type of No Win No Fee agreement, which means no immediate solicitor’s fees.
Please continue reading to discover more. If you’d like any information about electric shock at work claims as you read, or would like a free assessment of the strength of your claim, you can:
- Call our advisory team 24/7 at 0800 408 7825.
- Contact us through our online form.
- Reach us through the live discussion window below to discuss your electric shock at work claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The Regulations For Electricity In The Workplace
- The Most Common Reasons For Electric Shock At Work Claims
- I Had An Electric Shock At Work, Am I Able To Claim?
- Can I Claim On Behalf Of A Loved One?
- What Compensation Could I Get For My Claim?
- Will My Employer Have To Pay For My Compensation?
- How Do I Start A Claim For Electrical Shock Compensation?
- Can I Be Sacked For Making An Electric Shock At Work Claim?
- Can Public Interest Lawyers Help Me?
- More Information
The Regulations For Electricity In The Workplace
The primary regulations in UK workplaces regarding electricity are the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. This covers a broad range of expected standards for the safe use of electricity in work environments. Also, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) details an array of regulations for employers and employees working with electricity.
In addition to this, all UK employers are bound by a general duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAWA). They must take practicable and reasonable steps to protect workers from harm whilst performing their role.
A breach of this law by an employer can form the basis of a personal injury compensation claim. Call if you think your workplace breached health and safety rules and you suffered an injury as a result.
The Most Common Reasons For Electric Shock At Work Claims
Next, we look at some of the ways a person could suffer an electric shock at work and give an illustrative example:
Power Surges
Electricity currents need to be regulated in various parts of a building according to use and demand. A power surge can be when too high a voltage charge is sent through the system, affecting an area it would not normally.
Example – Power surges in an office building occurred when overloaded circuits and plugs were used incorrectly with extension leads. Because of this, a power surge in the staff canteen caused workers an electric shock when using cooking appliances.
Exposed Components
Poor maintenance of wiring or allowing cables to degrade without repair can cause tears or fraying in live components.
Example – An employer failed to risk assess and repair some cables in the power hub of a large factory. A worker tried to perform a routine procedure and accidentally touched an exposed live wire and suffered a serious, almost fatal electric shock, leaving them with severe brain damage.
Inadequate Earthing
A safe path for electricity to travel through needs to be made for all electrical machinery or procedures involving electricity. Without suitable earthing procedures, the current can travel into a worker.
Example – An employee was left unresponsive and burned after an arc welder failed to have the correct earthing route and a power surge travelled up the hand-held tool.
Exposure To Liquids
Electricity travels through water easily and is a significant hazard in places that use water or are often wet. Therefore, management must ensure that sources of electricity do not come into contact with water. Where it might, employers need to provide essential personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed:
Example – Incorrect footwear was provided to a worker who suffered a shock when a cable fell into a puddle underneath their feet, was not earthed correctly and electricity travelled up their leg.
Improper Maintenance
Employers need to routinely check on the safety of the appliances and tools they provide for employees to use. The date of the safety check on a mandatory label helps keep track of this in the workplace.
Example – An employer failed to safety check a kettle in a staff canteen and an employee suffered electric shock, burns and multiple injuries from the faulty workplace appliance.
You may have a different example. To discuss electric shock at work claims, whatever the circumstances, please connect with our team, They can advise whether a solicitor from our panel could help.
I Had An Electric Shock At Work, Am I Able To Claim?
After an electric shock at work, you might be wondering if you qualify to seek compensation. To be clear about eligibility, three criteria need to be met:
- A duty of care protected you at the moment of injury.
- A breach occurred.
- Your electric shock injuries were a direct result of this breach.
We discussed this duty of care earlier in the guide. It is owed to all employees, contractors and sub-contractors on a worksite. If you feel that your accident and injury happened because of a lapse in workplace safety standards as per the legislation we looked at above, a compensation claim could be made. Call our team now to check.
What If I Work In A High-Risk Industry?
Industries that need to regulate major hazards (including contact with electricity) are often subject to even more stringent health and safety procedures. You could definitely have a valid compensation claim if you can prove the duty of care owed to you in a high-risk area of work was breached. To be sure, check with our advisory team for a free assessment with no obligation.
Can I Claim If I’m Self-Employed?
The HASAWA extends a duty of care to self-employed, temporary and contract workers, so yes, if you can prove a breach in health and safety standards caused the electric shock, a claim could be launched against the business owner.
Can I Claim On Behalf Of A Loved One?
Yes. In certain cases, you may have to act as minors and those lacking mental capacity cannot launch personal injury claims for themselves. In cases like this, the courts often appoint a family member or other concerned party to act as a litigation friend who performs all the duties of the personal injury claim on their behalf. Please connect with advisors if you need more information on this or anything else raised in this guide.
Additionally, if your loved one suffered a fatal electric shock injury and the accident meets the eligibility criteria discussed above, you could be eligible to claim compensation for the impact the death had on you. For example, if the deceased was responsible for paying the mortgage, their spouse or civil partner can claim for this dependency. Furthermore, the estate of the deceased can claim for the pain and suffering and financial losses suffered by your loved one due to the fatal accident. In the first six months following the death, only the estate can claim. The estate can also make the fatal accident claim on behalf of the dependants. To learn more about fatal accident claims, please speak to a member of our advisory team.
What Compensation Could I Get For My Claim?
Electric shock at work claims for compensation that are successful can result in an award made up of two categories of loss called general and special damages. Physical pain and any psychological injury are assessed under general damages. Permanent disability and negative impact on the quality of the person’s life also come under this head of loss.
Those who are involved in calculating general damages might use medical records detailing the injuries as a guide. They can then compare these injuries with similar ones listed in publications like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).
This document provides guideline compensation figures for various injuries based on severity and we’ve compiled an excerpt below as it relates to electric shock injuries. Importantly, these are strictly guideline brackets and the first entry is not from the JCG.
Compensation Guidelines
| INJURY | SEVERITY | GUIDELINES | DEFINITIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cases of more than one injury and special damages | Severe | Up to £750,000 plus | Awards of this size might reflect multiple forms of severe injury and special damages for lost income and care costs. |
| Brain Damage | (b) Moderately severe | £267,340 to £344,150 | A serious disability that requires substantial reliance on others for essential needs. |
| (d) Less severe | £18,700 to £52,550 | Although the person suffered similar significant injuries initially, a broad recovery takes place and only minor issues with concentration or memory may remain. | |
| Epilepsy | (a) Established Grand Mal | £124,470 up to £183,190 | Established serious epilepsy. |
| Psychological Harm | (a) Severe | £66,920 up to £141,240 | The person experiences severe problems coping normally after the experience. |
| Scarring to body | Burns covering 40% or more of the body | Likely to exceed £127,930 | The award is impacted by the percentage of area affected by burns, thickness, cosmetic impact and the psychological reaction, surgery and physical disability. |
| Chest | (b) Traumatic chest injury | £80,240 up to £122,850 | A traumatic chest injury that can impact heart and lungs and reduce life expectancy. |
| Facial disfigurement | (a) Very severe (a) | £36,340 to £118,790 | Typically affecting claimants who are younger and experience a severe psychological reaction. |
| (b) Less Severe | £21,920 to £59,090 | Less so than above, but still a substantial level of scarring and psychological reaction. | |
| Hands | (b) Serious | £68,070 up to £103,200 | Cases where both hands are damaged in a way that causes lost function and/or cosmetic deficit. |
How Will Electric Shock At Work Compensation Be Calculated?
In addition to general damages, an amount can be applied for the financial impacts of an electric shock accident at work. Special damages might form a significant part of the compensation if you can prove them with the required documented evidence, such as:
- Payslips that show how you couldn’t work and lost income after the accident.
- Proof of private medical expenses or rehabilitation costs.
- Receipts for amounts paid to anyone who helped you cook, clean and shop after the accident.
- Invoices or estimates for adaptations needed in your home or to your car.
- Any extra childcare costs.
- Tickets and receipts for travel to essential appointments.
The solicitors on our panel can use available evidence to calculate any predicted financial losses as well and provide a much more thorough and detailed compensation total. Why not call and see how they could calculate general and special damages for you?
Will My Employer Have To Pay For My Compensation?
UK employers must carry Employers Liability Insurance by law and have coverage to at minimum £5 million. This covers them for compensation pay outs if they are found liable in negligence claims. Any compensation awarded is paid out by the company’s insurer.
How Do I Start A Claim For Electrical Shock Compensation?
We now focus on three important parts of electric shock at work claims; the evidence needed to build a claim, the time limits for starting and the benefits of appointing a personal injury solicitor to help:
What Evidence Do I Need To Support My Claim?
Workplace personal injury claims need evidence that demonstrates how a breach of duty of care caused the accident. As well as the extent of injury sustained. To do this, it helps to assemble as much of the following as you can:
- Photos of your visible injuries.
- Photos of the source of the electric shock (a broken fuse box, for example).
- A copy of any CCTV footage that filmed the event.
- The contact information of colleagues or the public who saw what happened. If you go ahead and work with a solicitor, they can obtain a supporting statement from these people after the claim has started.
- Copies of medical records that detail the severity and extent of the electric shock injuries you suffered, as well details of any future treatments and rehabilitation needed.
- A copy of the workplace accident book. Electric shock injuries may also be severe enough to warrant reporting through the Reporting of Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), details from which may strengthen your evidence.
A solicitor from our panel could assist with the collection of evidence. With decades of experience handling electric shock at work claims, it makes sense to see if they could help you.
How Long Do I Have To Make A Claim?
The Limitation Act 1980 states that personal injury claims should start within three years of the date of the accident. This standard time limit may vary:
- Minors cannot launch an independent personal injury claim until they become 18, from which date they are given 3 years.
- A freeze applies to time limits for claimants lacking sufficient mental capacity to claim themselves. They are given three years to claim from the date of recovery, should capacity return.
To learn more about time limits and whether you’re still eligible to claim compensation, chat with our team.
Can I Be Sacked For Making An Electric Shock At Work Claim?
It is not legal to sack a worker for having an accident at work or for starting a compensation claim after personal injury. However, dismissal from your job is possible if it is found that you deliberately took actions that caused or worsened the accident. For precise guidance on your particular circumstances, it’s best to call and talk with our team who can guide you from there.
Can Public Interest Lawyers Help Me?
The solicitors on our panel are experts at helping people like you construct a solid claim after a personal injury. If the case is eligible, they can take it up using a version of a No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This funding option has a wealth of benefits:
- Under a CFA, no immediate solicitor’s fees apply to start work.
- As the claim moves forward, you will not have to pay any solicitor’s fees.
- If the claim fails, no solicitors’ fees apply for completed services.
- If the claim wins, solicitors receive a nominal success fee.
- Also, you can agree on this percentage prior to working together, but it’s also subject to a legal limit.
- This guarantees that you receive almost all of the compensation awarded to you.
Terms such as these can allow people to start an electric shock compensation claim without the additional worry of legal costs to use a solicitor. If you would like to see whether our panel could help with your compensation claim after an electric shock at work, start by speaking with our advisory team on the contact options below.
Contact Us
Our advisory team are on hand to help answer any other questions about the electric shock at work claims process. You can:
- Call us 24/7 on 0800 408 7825 to chat about your electric shock injury claim.
- Contact us through our online form.
- Also, reach us directly through the live discussion below.
More Information
As well as the information in this guide about electric shock at work claims, these other resources from our website could be useful:
- This case study details a £20,000 payout for an electric shock suffered at work.
- Here we discuss compensation for a permanent scar
- Also, we focus on burn injury compensation claims
External resources to help:
- Electric shock first aid advice.
- In addition to this, read more on earthing in workplaces.
- Lastly, more on electrical safety from HSE.
Thank you for your interest in our article about electric shock at work claims. If you’d like any further help or information about an electric shock claim on a No Win No Fee basis, please connect with the team.
