Pre-Settlement Funding: Electrical Accidents
When proper precautions are taken, electrical accidents are rare, but can have fatal consequences. Although electrical accidents can occur in a number of scenarios, they tend to happen on the job and are more prevalent in those working in certain industries, such as construction.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported that the most frequent types of electrical dangers that occur while on the job include:
- Deadly electrocutions
- Burns
- Electric shock
- Falls resulting from contact with electrical energy
Alas, many of the injuries that result from electrical accidents prove to be fatal. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) conducted a recent four-year study of electrical accidents at the workplace, which revealed 739 fatalities that were a direct result of exposure to electricity. Almost half of these individuals (47 percent) worked in construction, with 22 percent working in maintenance, repair, or installation. Most of these deaths (80 percent) happened when workers were either cleaning, repairing, or building something while on the job and then having direct exposure to electricity.
As the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) points out, many on-the-job electrical accidents occur that may not be deadly, but that still result in injuries and pain. In just one recent year, it was revealed that there were 2,210 electrical injuries that were not deadly, which is a 35 percent increase from the previous year. The majority of these injuries (1,330) were due to electrical shocks, while burns made up 900 of the injuries.
While no two electric accident cases are identical and the exact cause of these accidents may vary, in some situations, it was the negligence of another that directly resulted in the electrical accident. For example, an employer may have failed to supply a construction worker with adequate protection or a safe working environment, which in turn, made that individual susceptible to an electrical accident.
If you’re already working with an attorney on your accident claim, you may be in the middle of a drawn-out waiting period for your case to finalize and for you to receive your settlement. You may be counting on that money to take care of the medical bills that resulted from your workplace accident, plus other expenses if your accident left you unable to work during your recovery. At USClaims, we may be able to help while you wait. Contact us today to learn more about pre-settlement funding and to get started.