Torrance Electrician Accident Lawyer

Everyone working in California should know their rights, and what they can expect in the event they suffer an injury at work. While independent contractors and electricians who work as sole proprietors may not have workers’ compensation insurance, electricians who are traditionally employed in the Torrance area are likely to be covered by their employers’ insurance policies. The state enforces some of the strictest workers’ compensation laws for employers, but many injured electricians still encounter significant challenges in their recovery efforts after workplace injuries.

Helping Injured Electricians Recover in Torrance

Electricians face an especially dangerous line of work. While every electrician must complete extensive job training and have the skill, experience, and tools necessary to complete their work, they will always face inherent safety risks due to the dangerous nature of electricity and unfinished and/or unshielded modern electrical systems. In addition, electrocutions and other electrical injuries tend to cause extreme harm and lasting medical complications for victims. If you or a loved one experienced an injury like this recently, a Torrance electrician accident attorney is the best asset to have on your side throughout your recovery efforts.

Benefits of Hiring a Torrance Electrician Accident Attorney

It’s technically possible for you to file a workers’ compensation claim on your own; it’s also possible to succeed with the claim without an attorney. However, doing so is likely to be much more difficult than you initially expected. Even if you succeed, you would be unlikely to maximize your final compensation on your own. Additionally, you would be compelled to meet strict procedural obligations while managing your medical needs.

Instead of trying to handle this incredibly difficult situation on your own, hiring an experienced Torrance electrician accident attorney can significantly improve your experience with your recovery efforts and maximize their results. Pratt Williams believes in providing client-focused legal representation, and we know there is no single solution that works for every workplace injury claim.

When you have legal counsel you can trust following an electrical injury at work, your attorney can handle all the preliminary administrative requirements of filing your claim. If you have grounds for a personal injury action in addition to your workers’ compensation claim, your attorney’s counsel will be invaluable for succeeding with this claim. Pratt Williams aims for maximum client recovery in every case we accept. We’ll help you navigate the workers’ compensation insurance claim process until you receive an appropriate determination of benefits, and then we will determine whether further legal recourse is an option for you.

Common Electrician Injuries in the State

Electrical work is inherently dangerous due to human vulnerabilities to electrical discharge. Even a moderate voltage can result in catastrophic or even fatal injuries. Most professional electricians work with electrical systems that are very powerful, and any negligence or misconduct when performing this type of work can easily result in life-changing or fatal injuries. Some of the most common medical complications caused by exposure to electrical discharge include:

• Electrical burns. Exposure to electricity can result in catastrophic burns, but an electrical burn is different from a thermal burn in several ways. Not only are electrical burns extremely painful, but they can also cause tremendous permanent damage in a very short time.
• Nerve damage. When a person is exposed to a high-voltage electrical discharge, the nerves in the area nearest the contact site could become permanently damaged. Nerve cells often cannot regenerate, so if your recent electrical injury caused any form of nerve damage, it is likely to be permanent.
• Permanent scarring. Any burn has the potential to cause permanent scarring. Some scar tissue can be psychologically disruptive and cause a host of physical complications like persistent pain, diminished range of motion, and more.
• Cardiovascular disruption. The human heart maintains its rhythmic beating with an electrical charge. One of the most dangerous medical complications that can arise from any electrical injury is an interruption to the heart’s electrical pulses. Electric shock can potentially result in cardiac trauma or cardiac arrest and death.

These are just a few possible injuries from exposure to dangerous electrical systems, and the harsh reality is that many work-related electrical injuries will cause multiple injuries and severe long-term medical complications to those involved.

Working with an experienced Torrance electrician accident attorney is the best option for anyone in this situation. If you or a loved one is struggling with various medical complications from a workplace electrical injury, you need an experienced attorney to guide you through the difficult legal proceedings you face as you work toward recovery. Pratt Williams offers comprehensive legal representation to injured workers in the Torrance area. Whether you believe you can resolve your situation with just a workers’ compensation claim or you think you have grounds for further legal action with a personal injury claim, we can help.

Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Torrance

Workers’ compensation insurance functions similarly to many other types of insurance. If you believe your electrical injury from work is covered by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy, you will need to file your claim through your employer. Your employer is legally obligated to create an official incident report of your injury and provide you with the forms you need to file your workers’ compensation claim.

Unfortunately, some workers find this to be one of the most difficult steps in their recovery efforts. While most employers uphold their legal obligations to their employees who suffer an injury at work, some do not, and some even go as far as to directly interfere with employees’ claims for workers’ compensation benefits. As an injured employee filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits, you will face several legal requirements you will need to fulfill, but you have the right to expect your employer’s cooperation in good faith.

Most of the state’s workers’ compensation insurance carriers will require a claimant to undergo a medical examination from one of their local approved physicians. An injured worker can see any doctor in an emergency, and many electrical injuries are severe in nature. However, they should prepare for a workers’ compensation medical examination once they stabilize. The doctor who examines you will assign you a disability rating based on how serious your injury is and the likelihood of you facing long-term or permanent harm from it.

The disability rating you receive will influence your final determination of benefits from the insurance carrier. A successful workers’ compensation claim will typically yield full compensation for all the medical expenses the victim faces, and if the incident harms their earning power, they can receive ongoing disability benefits as well. State law limits how much an injured electrician can receive in these payments, and the law allows most of these temporary benefits arrangements to continue for up to 104 weeks.

Potential Complications With Your Workers’ Compensation Case

State law requires all employers to cover part-time and full-time employees. Domestic workers, independent contractors, and sole proprietors typically do not have workers’ compensation insurance coverage. However, they could have alternative recovery options available to them that they can maximize with the assistance of experienced legal counsel.

While workers’ compensation insurance carriers are legally obligated to process all claims for coverage in good faith, not all carriers uphold this responsibility, and some look for all the reasons they can find to deny a claim or reduce a settlement offer. When you have an experienced Torrance electrician accident attorney representing you, they can ensure the insurance carrier handles your claim properly. If there is room to argue for more benefits than the insurance company offers, your attorney can first make a compelling case on your behalf.

It is also possible for an injured worker to have their workers’ compensation claim denied under certain conditions. For example, if an investigation determines that a worker caused their own injury through their own negligence, misconduct, or willful violation of safety protocols, they may be denied coverage. It is also possible for an employer and/or their insurance carrier to allege comparative fault against an injured worker in their efforts to avoid liability.

An experienced Torrance electrician accident attorney is the ideal resource to consult after any workplace injury, especially one as potentially damaging as an electrocution or other electrical injury. Your legal team can guide you through every phase of the workers’ compensation claim process more efficiently than you could have likely managed on your own, and they are also likely to secure much better results than you could manage by yourself.

Pursuing a Third-Party Claim

If any party outside of your work caused your electrical injury, you likely have grounds for a third-party personal injury claim in addition to your workers’ compensation claim. Since you were performing work-related duties when the injury happened, it does not matter where you were when you were injured. Since a third party would not have the civil liability protection that your employer has through their workers’ compensation claim, you would also have the right to file a personal injury claim against them to seek compensation for the losses workers’ compensation can’t repay.

Workers’ compensation insurance usually insulates employers from civil liability for their employees’ work-related injuries, but there are exceptions to this rule. If the employer does not have appropriate insurance coverage or any coverage at all, the employee could proceed directly to a civil claim against the employer. If the employer intentionally caused the injury somehow, this would also justify a personal injury claim.

When you can file both a workers’ compensation claim and any form of personal injury claim after an electrical injury, potentially you could secure far more compensation than you initially expected. However, if you want the best chance of maximizing the results you reach, it is crucial to secure legal representation from an experienced and trustworthy Torrance electrician accident attorney.

What to Expect From an Experienced Torrance Electrician Accident Attorney

The right legal team on your side makes every aspect of your recovery efforts easier to manage and more likely to succeed. For example, an electrical injury at work can potentially cause devastating physical damage, expensive medical bills, and an inability to work and earn income for an extended time. Some victims are left completely unable to work and support themselves due to their injuries, and many permanently disabled workers can’t manage to live independently because of these experiences.

Ultimately, any electrical injury can be tremendously harmful in many ways. Reliable legal counsel is invaluable to anyone in this situation. From the outset of your recovery, your attorney can ensure your employer and insurance carrier handle every aspect of your workers’ compensation claim correctly. When disputes arise with either or both of these parties, you will need reliable legal counsel to reach suitable conclusions.

Once you have secured the best possible determination of benefits for your workers’ compensation claim, an experienced Torrance electrician accident attorney will be a critical ally if you intend to pursue any further legal recourse. For example, if a third party caused you to suffer any electrical injury at work, you could file a third-party personal injury claim against them. A successful personal injury action can substantially improve your overall recovery from your injury. When you choose Pratt Williams to represent you, we can handle every aspect of your claim, from the workers’ compensation claim process to a direct civil claim against the party responsible for your injury.

Time is a critical concern for any injured worker. The statute of limitations on workers’ compensation claims in the state is technically one year, but it is always best to start the claim process as soon as possible. The statute of limitations on personal injury claims is two years, but the same rule applies in regard to taking swift legal action. The sooner you secure legal counsel you can trust, the more time your attorney has to prepare a compelling case on your behalf, and the more likely you are to succeed with all of the recovery efforts you pursue.

Q: What Are the Most Common Workplace Injuries in the United States?

A: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tracks reports of workplace injuries across all industries in the United States. Construction, commercial logging, and electrical work are a few of the most inherently dangerous industries due to the hazards faced by workers in these fields. A few of the most commonly reported injuries from electricians and other workers in the United States include injuries from falls, traumatic brain injuries, electrocutions, and acquired medical conditions from repetitive stress.

Q: What Happens If an Electrocution at Work Is Fatal?

A: If you have recently lost a loved one who suffered a fatal electrical injury at work, you likely have the right to seek death benefits through their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy. While workers’ compensation typically pays for an injured employee’s medical treatment and lost wages after an injury, this type of insurance must also offer death benefits to a worker’s family after a fatal injury at work.

Q: Can I Sue for an Electrician Accident in Torrance?

A: If you are hurt at work and your employer has appropriate insurance coverage, you likely cannot file a civil claim against them in response to your recent injury at work. However, if your employer does not have insurance, if they intentionally caused your injury, or if a third party caused your electrical injury, these factors would likely constitute grounds for a civil suit. Consult an experienced Torrance electrician accident attorney if you’re unsure of your options for legal recourse after an injury at work.

Q: How Much Is My Electrical Injury Claim Worth?

A: A successful workers’ compensation claim should cover the cost of all the medical care you require and provide relief from the income you lose if you are left unable to work for an extended time after your electrical injury. If you have grounds for a third-party claim or other personal injury action, you can secure repayment of all the losses you suffered that workers’ compensation won’t cover. This is likely to include the remainder of lost income not covered by your disability benefits and compensation for your pain and suffering.

Q: Is It Worth Hiring a Torrance Electrician Accident Attorney?

A: Having legal counsel you can trust assisting you with your claim will significantly improve the outcome of your workers’ compensation claim, and their support and guidance will be crucial for a subsequent personal injury claim. When you choose Pratt Williams to represent you after an electrical injury at work, we will guide you through every phase of your recovery efforts as efficiently as possible and maximize the compensation you obtain.

Pratt Williams has years of experience helping injured workers in their recovery efforts following workplace injuries. Many of our former clients are professional electricians left severely injured from their work, some of whom were rendered completely unable to work because of their injuries. If you or a loved one is struggling in the aftermath of a recent electrical injury at work, we can help you recover with confidence. Contact Pratt Williams today and schedule your consultation with a Torrance electrician accident attorney you can trust.