Articles Posted in Electrocution Accidents

A jury in Washington State awarded electronics technician Verl Lee $3.8 million for painful and unusual injuries sustained in an electrical explosion. Lee was working with Advanced Electrical Technologies of Longview when he was contracted to help repair a damaged Variable Frequency Drive at an Oakville, Washington chip mill on January 25, 2010.

Verl Lee sustained his injuries when Daniel Fletcher, an employee of Willis Enterprises who was escorting Lee to a series of malfunctioning cooling fans in the Variable Frequency Drive, struck the fan with a screwdriver when both parties were aware that the fans were energized. Mr. Fletcher’s lapse in judgment caused a short circuit of about 700 volts according the Daily World, a local Washington newspaper. The average wall outlet, easily capable of producing a painful charge, is only 120 volts by comparison. The resulting explosion left Verl Lee momentary blind and with a list of disabling injuries.

According to the National Trial Lawyers blog, Mr. Lee now suffers from, ” hyperacusis (abnormal sound sensitivity) and a case of tinnitus that Dr. William Martin, one of the top tinnitus experts in the world, said put Lee in the top one or two percent of people who suffer from this debilitating condition. Lee also developed chronic pain behind his eyes.” Essentially, Verl Lee’s life has been permanently altered, and he now needs to wear protective headphones and a hearing device to combat the incessant ringing in his ears and sound sensitivity. Lee was an elder in his church and active in both the worship team and the choir. He was forced to give up what he loved because his injuries made it too painful to function in situations with a large amount of people and sound.
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A man who sustained electrical shock injuries in a Quincy construction accident was rushed to the hospital. A Boston Medical Center spokesperson said that Antonio Deponte sustained electrical burns on his forearms after making contact with a power line.

The intensity of the shock reportedly caused DePonte to fall a floor. He also suffered a head injury. The Massachusetts electrical burn accident occurred at the new Central Middle school.

Electrical Injuries and Massachusetts Construction accidents

While many electrical burns may not show themselves on the skin, their damage can be deep, causing severe injury to the tissue. Depending on the strength of the electrical current that was involved, heart rhythm disturbance, cardiac arrest, organ damage, serious entry and exit wounds, and even death occur.

Unfortunately, electrical injuries, including electrocution and electrical shock, are a serious risk for many construction workers every day. Many workers have to work around and with electricity. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that electrical accidents is one of the leading causes of construction accident fatalities, with hundreds of fatalities and thousands of worker injuries caused by electrical burns and shocks. Other common causes of Boston construction accidents involving electrical sources include high-voltage power lines, extension and power cords that are faulty or short circuited, defective or poorly maintained power tools, lighting, inadequate ground-fault protection, and negligent use of equipment.

As an injured construction worker, you may not be able to file a Boston electrical injury lawsuit against your employer, but you are likely entitled to Massachusetts workers’ compensation. There also may be other parties associated with the construction job, such as the owner of the project, another contractor, and others that you may be able to pursue legal damages from, in addition to other third parties involved in the accident.

Man injured in accident at Quincy school construction site, Boston.com, June 11, 2013′

Bureau of Labor Statistics

More Blog Posts:
GAO Report Finds State-Run OSHA Programs Failing to Meet Workplace Safety Goals, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, June 7, 2013
Worker Killed in Northampton Construction Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 19, 2013

Brockton Tractor-Trailer Driver Suffers Electrical Shock After His Truck Strikes Power Lines on I-95 in Attleboro, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 17, 2012 Continue reading

Joseph O. Irorere, a 45-year-old trucker, has been hospitalized, after he received an electrical shock when his 2001 Mack 600 tractor-trailer hit power lines that were sagging on Interstate 95 in Attleboro. According to State Police, the incident happened when the Brockton man got out of the vehicle. Their preliminary probe found that the wires on both sides of the road had sagged due to a structural issue involving a utility pole.

Electrical Shock

Electrical shock can cause serious injuries as the electrical current enters the body. There may be electric burns, internal injuries, damage to tissues, muscles, or nerves, thermal burns, brain damage, organ damage, cardiac arrest, spinal cord injuries, hand/foot injuries, deformity, or even death. Common causes of Boston electric shock accidents:

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