Electricians perform critically important tasks across a wide range of different industries. According to the most recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are approximately 631,080 electricians are working in the United States. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) notes that there are more than 15,000 licensed electricians employed in our state.
Electricians face safety risks in the workplace—especially when proper precautions are not taken by employers and other companies. At The Walthew Law Firm, our Seattle workers’ compensation attorneys have the skills and experience needed to effectively represent electricians who were hurt at construction sites and other workplaces. If you or your loved one is an electrician who was injured on the job in Washington, please call us now for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
The Most Common Types of Electrician Injuries
Electricity is inherently dangerous. Not only do electricians face risks from electricity itself, but they are also required to work in potentially hazardous conditions, including on ladders and scaffolding. Beyond that, electrical work is often physically challenging. The occupation puts a lot of strain and stress on the body—it is not unusual for electricians to expose their back and other muscle groups to repetitive trauma. Some of the most common examples of electrician injuries include:
- Machinery/equipment injuries;
- Falls from height;
- Electrocutions;
- Toxic exposure; and
- Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs).
Of course, electrocutions are a risk that every worker must protect against. That being said, electrocutions are relatively rare when compared to other types of injuries facing electricians. Indeed, a representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) noted that “Believe it or not, falls are our number one source of death and injury.”
Contractors, construction companies, and other firms must take proper safety precautions to protect their workers—from putting fall protection in place to ensuring that every worker is properly trained. Profits should never come before safety.
Electrician Injuries in Washington: Know Your Rights and Options
Workers’ Compensation
Injured electricians should always review and consider their ability to recover financial compensation through a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ comp is the primary form of financial protection for workers.
Electricians who were hurt on the job are not required to prove that their employer was negligent to get financial support. Instead, full medical coverage and wage replacement benefits should be made available to all electricians who are injured in the course of employment. To protect your rights, make sure that you do the following three things after being hurt on the job in Washington:
- Report your accident to your immediate supervisor;
- Get evaluated by a doctor and seek follow-up care; and
- Complete and submit a workers’ compensation claim.
If your workers’ comp claim was denied or if you have any general questions about the claims process in general, you should call a Seattle, WA workers’ comp lawyer who has experience representing injured electricians.
Third-Party Liability Claims
In some cases, injured electricians may also be able to recover additional financial support through a third party liability claim. That is, while workers’ comp is the sole remedy that injured electricians have against their employer, they can still file a personal injury claim against other negligent parties.
If you were injured while working as an electrician in Washington and the accident was caused by a negligent third party—a property owner, another contractor, an equipment manufacturer, etc.—you may want to file a personal injury lawsuit. By doing so, you could be eligible to obtain compensation for noneconomic damages, including for pain and suffering.
You can file a third-party liability lawsuit even if you are also bringing a workers’ comp claim. It is also important to note that a third-party liability claim is based on negligence. To hold another party liable through a third party work injury lawsuit, an electrician must establish that the defendant’s negligence contributed to the accident.
Were You Injured on the Job? Contact Us Today for Help
At The Walthew Law Firm, our Seattle workers’ compensation attorneys fight aggressively to help injured workers recover their full and fair benefits. Contact our law firm right away for a free, strictly confidential consultation. With office locations in Seattle and Everett, we represent injured electricians throughout the region, including in King County, Snohomish County, Skagit County, and Pierce County.