A person can be electrocuted anywhere: at home, on a job, or in their neighborhood. The vast majority of adults who are injured in electrocution-based accidents do as in a work setting but most accidents involving electrocution with children happen at home. Most accidents are preventable. As a result, if you or someone you’re close to was injured in an electrocution accident, it’s likely that it was caused by the negligence of another person and you may have a personal injury claim.
Common causes of electrocution in the home
Most people who are electrocuted at home are injured as a result of improper wiring or defective household appliances. When electric wires aren’t insulated correctly or are left exposed, it can be incredibly hazardous – especially to children because they can be seriously hurt from even a very low voltage shock.
Household products like power tools, kitchen appliances, hair dryers, and other electronics many people have in their home can be dangerous as well. Over the years, thousands of household products have been recalled due to faults in the way they were designed or manufactured.
When a person is electrocuted on another person’s property
When someone is electrocuted on property that belongs to someone else, premises liability may apply. In short, this means that the owner of the property can be held legally responsible for all injuries that result from dangerous and / or hazardous conditions on their property. Of course, it’s not quite this simple: It must be proven that the owner either knew or should have known about the dangerous conditions.
It is the legal duty of every property owner to take reasonable precautions to keep their property safe. If they don’t do that, and the result is an electrocution accident, then the owner of the property could be held responsible any injuries that result from the electrocution.
When a person is electrocuted due to a faulty product
Defective products can lead to significant and serious electrocution accidents that can cause injuries up to and including death. The law around product liability may apply when the designer or manufacturer didn’t take steps to protect customers. They may be held responsible for any injuries sustained if the product was designed incorrectly, there were mistakes in manufacturing, or marketing errors led to mislabeling or deceptive practices:
- Design defects: This applies when the design of the product itself was defective before a single product was ever made.
- Manufacturing defects: This applies when a product was designed safely but was manufactured in such a way that the product was not safe before it was ever purchased.
- Marketing defects. This applies when mistakes in marketing the product occurred. They can include mistakes in labeling its usage and a lack of adequate warnings.
Have you or someone you care about been injured in an electrocution accident?
If you or someone you care about has been injured by an electrocution then it’s time to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707. We offer a free consultation to assess your case and let you know what your options are.
