Electric shock burns can be just as nasty as burns from a fire. Between 500 and 1,000 people die every year from electric shock.
Death by electric shock is far more prevalent than we think. In fact, most of these types of tragedies tend to happen during work. It’s a statistic that becomes less surprising when you consider that most of these accidents occur on construction sites. This isn’t to say that accidents like this don’t happen in other industries, because they do – often in the electrical trades and the manufacturing industry.
How do you know how severe an electric shock injury is? While burns from electric shock events tend to look relatively normal on the surface, it’s what’s going on under the skin that counts. The severity of the shock injury generally depends on several factors, such as the path the current follows through the body, the length of the exposure to the source and the current and amount of electricity delivered. Based on that, you would be correct in thinking that high-voltage shocks are usually more severe and result in more serious injuries than low-voltage shocks. However, anything is possible and this is not a hard and fast rule.
Shock injuries usually result in burns. Usually, those burns are quite severe at the point of contact with the source. In most cases of electric shock injury, burns will be found on the feet, hands and head – that is what you will see externally, at least. Internal injuries to body organs may transpire along the route the electricity took and wind up causing multiple organ damage. Generally speaking, you may also see flame burns if a victim’s clothing starts on fire or flash burns to areas of exposed skin when electrical arching occurs.
In cases like this, you can count on the fact that the victim will need prolonged and extensive treatment and rehabilitation. The person may never be able to work again, never be able to do what he or she used to do before their accident and may never again have the same kind of lifestyle as before. In some cases, the victims need medical care for the rest of their lives. A burn victim often becomes disabled for life and may also face neurological deficits.
To say that injuries like this are catastrophic would be an understatement. One thing is for sure; victims of electric shock injuries need to speak to a skilled Austin personal injury attorney and find out what their options are now and for the future. Only a competent lawyer will be able to ensure a just and adequate settlement.
Of course, there are other complicated issues that may result from an electrical shock. Victims are often thrown great distances by the force of the shock. This means they tend to sustain secondary injuries like head trauma, fractures, spinal cord injuries or lacerations. This seriously complicates treating the burn injury.
If you have been the victim of a burn injury, take the time to talk to an experienced Austin personal injury attorney and find out what your rights and options are now and for the future. Your lawyer’s expertise is the key to a just settlement or court verdict.
Beverly Aylmer writes for The Lee Law Firm. If you need an Austin personal injury lawyer, contact an Austin personal injury attorney from The Lee Law Firm. Visit RWLeelaw.com.
