How much compensation can I claim for an electric shock injury?
By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 1st September 2023. You could make electric shock injury compensation claims if you suffered an electric shock due to third-party negligence. To learn more, please continue reading this guide or get in touch with us today for a free consultation with legal advice.
The effects of electricity on the body are devastating and have serious consequences if not treated immediately. Electrocutions (death by an electric shock) in the workplace are not uncommon. Electricity is a very useful utility. It would be very hard to imagine the world today without it. However, electricity is a very dangerous utility that should not be taken lightly. Every year there are thousands of cases of people being injured by electric shocks and suffering severe health problems due to negligence in a workplace environment or in a public place, and this may entitle them to make an electric shock claim.
If you have suffered an electric shock at work or have lost a loved one who was electrocuted, it is important to understand that there are ways in which you can be compensated for your injury or for your loss.
That’s where we can help. This guide is just the starting point. We can provide free legal advice on electric shock claims. We can also explain how the personal injury claims process works. We’ll also talk about how you can take advantage of a No Win No Fee agreement to pursue the justice and electric shock injury compensation claims you deserve.
Our team of advisers is standing by to help you now. You can reach them in a variety of ways:
- Call us on 0800 073 8804
- Write to us about your case by heading here
- Or chat with us now using our live chat feature.
You can also watch our video which gives you the key points from the guide:
To learn more about how to make electric shock injury compensation claims, please continue reading.
Select a Section
- A Guide To Electric Shock Injury Compensation Claims.
- Symptoms of an electric shock.
- What to do if you are involved in an electric shock accident.
- Claiming compensation for an electric shock accident at work.
- Claiming For An Electric Shock In A Public Place
- Electric Shock Injuries – How Much Compensation Could I Get?
- Get In Touch To Make An Electic Shock Claim With Our No Win No Fee Lawyers
- Helpful Links On Electric Shock Injury Compensation Claims
A Guide to Electric Shock Injury Compensation Claims
electric shock injury compensation claims
Welcome to our electric shock claims guide. Within this page, you will find information that will help in your search for information on electric shock claims.
This page will provide guidance on how much you can expect to be compensated, and detail how we can help you make a personal injury claim. Our representatives will work on your behalf under a No Win No Fee agreement, which is explained in greater detail further down the page.
When you are making a personal injury claim, you must understand what type of electric shock injury you may have sustained. This is vital information when it comes to pursuing your compensation claim, as different accidents cause different forms of injuries.
Symptoms of an Electric Shock
If you have experienced an electric shock, then the after-effects can vary on a case by case basis. Some people may only experience minor electric shock symptoms, whilst others may be more severe. Some electric shocks may even be fatal.
Even when 2 parts of your body come into contact with a voltage as low as 50 volts, the electrical signal between your brain and muscles can be affected.
This could lead to things like:
- Issues with breathing
- Your heart’s function being affected
- Muscle spasms
The effect caused can depend on certain things. For example:
- If the person is wet or damp
- The size of the voltage
- How long you are exposed to the current
The individual’s muscle control can also be impacted whilst being shocked. So, they could find it difficult to physically release the source of the shock.
Additionally, they may be left with electrical burns on the surface of the skin.
You can read more about possible injuries caused by electricity on the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) website.
Electric Shock Injuries – Examples
Electric shock injuries could lead to you suffering significant harm. In some cases, being electrocuted could be fatal.
In this section, we’ll focus on injuries you could receive following an electric shock:
- You could suffer a burn injury, including an electric burn or a thermal burn, which is a type of burn caused from touching hot objects.
- Whether you suffer a significant or minor electric shock, the sudden shock may cause you to fall from a height. For example, you could experience a fall at work if you are working at heights.
If you would like to make a claim after sustaining electric shock injuries, speak to our advisors for free legal advice.
What to Do If You Are Involved in an Electric Shock Accident
If you have received an electric shock at work or in a public place, there are some steps you could look to follow before making any electric shock injury compensation claims.
Before all else, it’s advised that you seek medical treatment if you have been exposed to an electric shock. Some symptoms may initially seem quite minor. You may also experience delayed symptoms rather than no symptoms. However, you could have underlying injuries that need to be addressed.
Additionally, the medical reports that are generated as a result of your treatment can come in useful during the process of making your claim. You can present them as evidence to show the severity of the electric shock and the impact it may have had.
- Take photos of the place where you were shocked. This will prove very useful in making your claim. This could also be done by obtaining CCTV of the incident.
- Get witness details. These are eyewitness testimonies that will also serve to make your claim that much more verifiable.
- Visit a doctor or hospital for a medical exam, and make sure the injury is fully documented.
- Write down, yourself, what happened during and after the accident. Write about how you had been injured, the pain you felt, details about the doctor visit, the money you spent on medicine and prescription drugs you may have bought.
- Reach out for a solicitor to help you pursue your claim. The evidence you provide will speed up the process.
If you have finished the first four steps you can contact us for a free consultation and our personal injury claims team will start to work out the best way to go about getting you the electric shock compensation you are entitled too.
Our staff are here to help you through this process. You will not have to pay anything throughout the claims process, and if we lose the claim, you won’t pay us anything, as we will represent you under a No Win No Fee arrangement. You truly have nothing to lose.
Feel free to contact us now if you wish to query us about making electric shock injury compensation claims on a No Win No Fee basis.
Am I Entitled To Make Electric Shock Injury Compensation Claims?
While at work or when out in public, you are owed a duty of care. When carrying out work tasks, your employer owes you a duty of care to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure your well-being and safety. When in public places and using them for their intended purposes, the occupier, those in control of the spaces, also owe you a duty of care to take steps to ensure your reasonable safety.
This means that if this duty of care is not adhered to and you suffer an electrocution injury, you could follow the electric shock injury compensation claims process. Electric shock injuries can range from mild injuries to more severe life-threatening injuries. Making an electric shock claim can mean that if it is successful, you could be compensated for both the harm you have suffered and also any financial losses connected with your injury.
To make an electric shock claim, you will need to satisfy three key criteria:
- Firstly, a third party owed you a duty of care at the time and place of the accident,
- Secondly, this duty of care was breached, and
- This caused you to suffer an electric shock injury.
If you have questions regarding the eligibility criteria for electric shock injury compensation claims, please call our advisors today for free advice.
Electric Shock Injuries – How Long You Have To Claim
The Limitation Act 1980 states that you typically have 3 years from the date of your electrocution injury to begin a claim. In instances where you only become aware of your injury later on, you could use this date of knowledge as the start of your time limit. However, you would need to support this with evidence, such as medical records.
If a child has sustained an electric shock burn or similar injury, then their time limit is suspended. This is due to the fact that they are not permitted to make a claim by themselves. Therefore, anyone under 18 must have a litigation friend appointed to claim on their behalf.
Should the claimant have a reduced mental capacity, a litigation friend must also be appointed if a claim is to be started. The time limit is also suspended, as with child claims. It would only begin if the injured party ever reached a point where they are deemed capable of making their own claim.
For more information about time limits and what to do after an electric shock, get in touch with our advisors today.
Claiming Compensation for an Electric Shock Accident at Work
electric shock injury compensation claims
It’s a common misconception that if you were electrocuted at work, you cannot make a claim for an electric shock.
Whether this is because you simply assumed that faulty electrics were to blame or that you couldn’t make legal proceedings against your existing employer, this is not always the case. Often, you may be entitled to compensation without knowing. Therefore, please get in touch today for a free consultation.
Is my employer liable?
However, that is not the case and under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 employers have a duty of care to uphold the safety and welfare of their employees so far as reasonably possible.
There are numerous regulations that employers must follow to ensure their employee’s health and safety, including regular risk assessments and maintenance duties:
- The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 requires the employer to ensure that the protective equipment used by the employee is acceptable and suitable for the task. In other words, the equipment and environment that employees are working in are safe.
- The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires that your employer must maintain a safe environment for their employees at all times.
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 provides instruction regarding the health and safety training employers must give to their employees. Within this regulation are guidelines on how to deal with live wires appropriately, along with assessing the safety of electrical equipment. Electric shock accident at work claims can also be made on a No Win No Fee Basis.
Claiming For An Electric Shock In A Public Place
You could potentially make a claim if you have suffered an electrocution injury while in a public place, such as a supermarket. Per the Occupier’s Liability Act 1957 (OLA), you are owed a duty of care in public places. The party in control of a public space (or the ‘occupier’) must take the necessary steps to ensure the reasonable safety of visitors to the space. An occupier could maintain their duty of care by performing regular risk assessments and maintenance checks.
If a supermarket, for example, were to fail to maintain their electrical equipment, they could be held liable for any injuries caused by their negligence. For instance, if you were a customer in a supermarket and went to retrieve some products from the electric freezer and suffered a minor electric shock, you could potentially claim compensation for any injuries. However, you would need to prove that the supermarket was aware of the faulty equipment and hadn’t taken any of the necessary steps to fix the issue or prevent customers from using the faulty freezer.
Contact our advisors today if you have any questions about claiming for an electric shock burn. Additionally, they could offer you free legal advice and connect you with our solicitors if they believe you could be eligible for compensation.
Electric Shock Injuries – How Much Compensation Could I Get?
If you’ve sustained an electric shock burn or any other electric shock injuries due to someone’s negligence, you could potentially make a claim. In a successful claim, the severity of your electrocution injury and its impact on your quality of life will determine the amount of general damages compensation you might receive.
If you’ve incurred financial losses as a direct result of your electrocution injury, these could also potentially be addressed in your claim – though you would need to provide receipts showing your expenses. This would be your special damages compensation.
Solicitors can consider compensation amounts from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) when valuing general damages in claims. The table below uses compensation brackets from the 2022 edition of the JCG. However, the amounts in the table may not match the payout you receive as they are only a guide.
| Injury | Notes | JCG bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage – Moderately Severe | The injured party is seriously disabled with substantial dependence on others. The award considers their insight, life expectancy, physical limitations, ability to communicate and behaviour problems. | £219,070 to £282,010 |
| Brain Damage – Less Severe | In this bracket, the injured party has made a good recovery. However, not all normal functions have been restored, ie, they may have persisting problems with memory and concentration. | £15,320 to £43,060 |
| Chest (a) | Found in this bracket are cases where there has been the total removal of one lung along with heart damage causing serious and prolonged pain and suffering along with significant permanent scarring. | £100,670 to £150,110 |
| Chest (b) | In this bracket, the claimant has suffered a traumatic chest injury to their lung(s) and/or heart which results in permanent damage, functioning impairments, disability and life expectancy reductions. | £65,740 to £100,670 |
| Chest (c) | The injured party suffers some continuing disability from damage to their chest and/or lung(s). | £31,310 to £54,830 |
| Burns | The award considers the body area percentage, thickness, cosmetic impact, surgery requirements, physical disability and psychological impact. | Likely to exceed £104,830 |
| Facial Scarring – Very Severe (a) | In this bracket, the claimant is relatively young and suffers a severe psychological reaction to disfiguring scars. | £29,780 to £97,330 |
| Facial Scarring – Less Severe (b) | The injured party suffers a significant psychological reaction to substantial disfigurement. | £17,960 to £48,420 |
| Arm – Substantial and Permanent Disablement (b) | The claimant has suffered serious fractures to either one or both of their forearms. These leave behind a significant permanent disability. | £39,170 to £59,860 |
| Bodily Scarring | This bracket includes a large number of noticeable scars or a single disfiguring scar to the legs, arms, hands, back or chest. | £7,830 to £22,730 |
Electric Shock Injuries – Could I Be Owed Special Damages?
In addition to general damages, your settlement may also consist of special damages. This is to compensate you for any financial losses caused by your electric shock injuries.
Examples of expenses that could be covered by special damages when claiming for an electrical accident include:
- Care costs if you required a carer to help cope with your daily life while you recover
- Loss of earnings, including pension contributions, for time off work to recover from your electric shock injury
- Medical costs. These can include prescription costs, specialist creams to minimise scarring, plastic surgery, and therapy
- Travel expenses, such as taking a taxi to medical appointments
To claim special damages, you should submit proof of your losses. For example, receipts, invoices, and wage slips could be beneficial.
Get in touch with an advisor from our team if you have any questions about what financial losses could be recovered as part of your claim. They can also provide you with a free claim evaluation.
Get In Touch To Make An Electric Shock Claim With Our No Win No Fee Lawyers
Electric shock claims might seem daunting or complex, and you may not know where to start. But if you’ve suffered an electrocution injury and are eligible to pursue a personal injury claim, one of our lawyers may be able to help you.
Our lawyers offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis. They do this through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which allows you access to a lawyer without paying any upfront or ongoing fees for their work. Likewise, if your claim fails, then you won’t pay fees for their services.
However, if your claim succeeds, then you will pay a success fee. This is taken directly from your compensation as a small, legally-capped percentage. The legislative cap is in place to help make sure that you keep the majority of what you receive.
To find out if you could be eligible to work with one of our lawyers, contact a member of our team. One of our friendly advisors can offer a free consultation, through which they can evaluate your claim and answer any questions that you might have. To get started:
- Call us on 0800 073 8804
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat feature
Helpful Links On Electric Shock Injury Compensation Claims
Before we finish this guide to electric shock claims, we wanted to leave you with some further guides, as well as the answers to some commonly asked questions on these claims. Remember, if you have any queries, get in touch.
Accident At Work Claims Guide
If you’ve been injured in an accident at work and want to know what action you can take this guide will tell you what you need to know.
What Are My Legal Rights After An Accident At Work?
If you’re curious about your legal rights after suffering an injury in a workplace accident, this will tell you more.
Burn Injury Claims
Burn injuries are a common result of electric shocks, and this guide will tell you more about them.
The HSE’s Guide to Electrical Injuries
The Health and Safety Executive’s guide to injuries caused by electric shocks.
A Guide To Electrical Safety At Work
Another HSE guide on how to stay safe when working with electricity at work.
The NHS’s Guide To First Aid Relating To Electric Shocks
A detailed guide on what to do medically in cases of electric shock.
Stuck In A Lift Compensation Claims
Find out more.
Other Helpful Guides
- Psychological injury claims
- Would I Need To See A Doctor When Claiming For A Personal Injury?
- Death And Fatal Accident At Work Claims
- Factory Accident Claims
- Council And Local Authority Compensation Claims
- Defective Farm Equipment – Injury Compensation Claims
- How Much Can I Claim For An Accident Caused By Dangerous Machinery At Work?
- Accidents On Private Property
- Find out how to claim if you suffered a scalded hand or other burn injuries due to a hot drink.
Thank you for reading our guide to electric shock injury compensation claims.
