Electrocution May Represent a Significant Cause of Falls from Elevated Platforms at Job Sites

Although the rate of electrocution accidents related to the use of consumer products continues to decrease each year, electrocutions can play a substantial role when construction workers fall from high elevations. If an electrocution is involved, explaining how an accident happened and how injuries were caused by the negligent party are crucial when pursuing compensation. Injury victims in Newport News and elsewhere in Virginia need skilled attorneys with the ability to investigate the circumstances and true cause of any job site accident.

On the surface, an individual who falls from an elevated platform might logically assume failure of the platform to represent the cause of the accident. And while platform failure certainly happens, a 1991 study by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identified falls from elevation and contact with sources of electrical current as the cause for 80 percent of the fatalities they investigated. These concerns still apply today.

A detailed investigation can make a notable difference in how attorneys pursue personal injury or wrongful death claims for their clients. An experienced electrocution injury attorney in Norfolk knows the importance of looking for negligence beyond the obvious causes. In some cases, manufacturers of platforms may have liability even for electrocution-related falls, by failing to use materials on their structures designed to shield users from electrocution. An experienced lawyer must investigate all the possible causes for electrocution to get the full picture required to identify all parties who may share liability.

Every accident situation has unique aspects. The Law Offices of Timothy H. Hankins conducts thorough investigations to unravel the essential details that can help injured victims or their families pursue full and fair compensation from all liable parties.