How Do I Claim For An Electric Shock At Work?

By Cat Reeves. Last Updated 11th May 2023. If you have suffered injuries following an electric shock at work, you may be wondering whether you could make a claim for compensation. In this guide, we will explain the accident at work claims process and will provide further information on when you could make a claim.

Solicitors and other legal professionals are responsible for calculating settlement awards in personal injury claims. We will explain how they do this and provide some guideline compensation amounts to give you a broad idea of what you could potentially receive.

If you have any more questions following this guide, our advisors are here to help. When you get in touch, our team can offer a free consultation. They can help establish whether you have a valid claim and can also offer free legal advice. If your claim is valid, you could be connected with a solicitor from our panel. For more information:

Electric shock at work

Electric shock at work claims guide

Select A Section

  1. Can I Claim For An Electrical Shock At Work?
  2. Electric Shock At Work Examples
  3. How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For An Electric Shock At Work?
  4. What Evidence Do I Need For An Accident At Work Claim?
  5. What Could I Claim For An Electric Shock At Work?
  6. About UK Law’s No Win No Fee Service

Can I Claim For An Electrical Shock At Work?

To form a valid accident at work claim, you must be able to prove that your injuries were a result of negligence. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, all employers have to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the safety of their employees in the workplace. This is known as a duty of care.

If you are injured because your employer breached their duty of care, this is referred to as negligence. So, you could potentially claim if:

  • You were owed a duty of care
  • This duty was not met
  • Because of this, you were injured

For example, if your employer failed to carry out a risk assessment before asking you to work with electrical equipment, this could result in an electric shock. In this case, you could be entitled to claim for the injuries you sustained.

An advisor from our team can tell you if your claim is valid if you get in touch.

Electric Shock At Work Examples

There are many ways in which an electrical accident can happen in the workplace and cause a wide range of injuries. For example:

  • If you work at a height, such as on scaffolding, you may need to interact with overhead power lines. Contact with an overhead power line can lead to an electrical shock, which could cause you to fall and hurt yourself in a scaffolding accident.
  • All electrical equipment should be checked for defects on a regular basis and should be well maintained. If your employer knowingly provides faulty electronic equipment, and this leads to an electric shock, you could potentially make a claim.
  • If a building does not have safe wiring, this can mean using plug sockets and light fixtures can be dangerous. This could result in an electric shock from plugging in an appliance or device.

To find out if you could claim from an electric shock at work, get in touch with our team.

How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For An Electric Shock At Work?

The time limit for starting an electric shock at work claim is set out by the Limitation Act 1980. It states that you have three years to start a claim from the date you suffered your injuries. But there are some exceptions to this limit.

For those who lack the mental capacity to claim for themselves, the time limit is suspended indefinitely. If they regain the capacity to claim, then the time limit will reinstate on the date of their recovery. Otherwise, a court-appointed litigation friend could make a claim on their behalf.

Similarly, the time limit is paused for those under the age of 18. A litigation friend could begin a claim on their behalf while the time limit is paused. If a claim has not been made by their 18th birthday, they will then have three years to start one.

To learn more about claiming compensation for an electric shock at work, or to get more information on the time limits in place, contact our team of advisors today.

What Evidence Do I Need For An Accident At Work Claim?

One way to strengthen your claim is to collect evidence. This can also help you to establish whether your employer is responsible for your workplace injury. Some examples of evidence that you could collect can include:

  • CCTV footage: If your workplace has CCTV, you could request footage of the accident or the circumstances that lead to the accident. This could then be used as evidence to help strengthen your claim.
  • Accident book logs: If your workplace has ten or more employees, the law requires there to be an accident book. You can document the details of your accident and injuries here to create a record of what happened.
  • Medical reports: Seeking medical attention ensures you get the right treatment, and creates documentation of your injuries through your medical records. Similarly, a solicitor can help you arrange an independent assessment, which culminates in a medical report that can be used to support your case.
  • Witness contact details: Collecting the contact details of any witnesses to your accident means that their statements could then be taken at a later date.

A solicitor can help you in the process of collecting evidence. Contact our team today to find out if one of our panel’s solicitors could help you in your claim for an electric shock at work.

What Could I Claim For An Electric Shock At Work?

You could receive two heads that make up your settlement if your case is a success. General damages is the head of claim that covers the suffering and the pain caused by your injuries. In most cases, solicitors will refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to calculate what this head of claim may be worth.

The JCG is a document that offers guideline brackets for a range of illnesses and injuries. However, it is important to note that these figures are not guaranteed. Compensation is calculated on a case-by-case basis to reflect the individual circumstances of each claim, which means the amount you could receive can vary. With this in mind, you can find some examples of JCG brackets below.

Edit
Injury Compensation Bracket Notes
Moderately Severe Brain Damage (b) £219,070 to £282,010 The claimant will be very seriously disabled, and will need constant professional care with a substantial dependence on others.
Moderate Brain Damage (c) (i) £150,110 to £219,070 In this case, there will be a moderate to severe intellectual deficit, a risk of epilepsy, and no ability to work.
Scars from Burns Likely to exceed £104,830 Serious burns are likely to cause more significant awards, any cases where scars cover over 40% of the body are likely to attract awards of over £104,830.
Chest Injuries (a) £100,670 to £150,110 Serious heart damage with significant scarring and prolonged pain and suffering.
Chest Injuries (b) £65,740 to £100,670 Traumatic injuries to the chest or heart that cause permanent damage and a reduction in life expectancy.
Very Severe Scarring to the Face (a) £29,780 to £97,330 In relatively young claimants with a severe psychological reaction and cosmetic effect.
Less Severe Scarring to the Face (b) £17,960 to £48,420 Substantial cosmetic effect, with a significant psychological effect on the claimant.
Significant Scarring to the Face (c) £9,110 to £30,090 Cases where there is no great psychological reaction, and the worst of the cosmetic effects can be reduced through plastic surgery.
Less Significant Scarring to the Face (d) £3,950 to £13,740 One scar or a very small number of scars that mar but do not significantly affect the claimant’s overall appearance.
Trivial Scarring to the Face (d) £1,710 to £3,530 Only minor effects are valued within this bracket.

Special Damages

Under special damages, you can recoup the financial losses you sustain because of your injuries. For example, if an electric shock at work causes you to fall down stairs, this could lead to a broken leg. This could result in a loss of earnings if you have to miss work while you recover. Similarly, if you can’t drive because of your injuries, you may have to pay for a taxi to get to and from work. Special damages can cover these costs if you have adequate evidence to support this head of claim.

Contact our advisors today for more information on claiming compensation if you were injured by an electric shock at work.

About UK Law’s No Win No Fee Service

Under a kind of No Win No Fee arrangement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), a solicitor from our panel could provide you with legal advice. Generally, under a CFA, you will not be asked to pay any upfront fees to your solicitor for their work. Similarly, you won’t be asked to pay any ongoing fees for your solicitor to work on your claim.

Should you make a successful claim, then your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. This fee is legislatively capped, which means you will get the majority of your award. However, if your claim doesn’t succeed, then you won’t pay this fee.

If you would like to find out whether you could be eligible for representation under a CFA, get in touch with our team today:

More About Work Injury Claims

To learn more about personal injury claims, we recommend:

Or, for more resources:

For more information on claiming for injuries caused by an electric shock at work, get in touch with our team.

Writer HP

Publisher NC