Hurt by Electricity in Miami Gardens? You Don't Have to Face the Aftermath Alone

Electrocution injuries happen when electric current passes through the body. The harm can go far beyond what shows on the skin. This guide is for Miami Gardens residents. It explains how these injuries happen and why they are hard to judge right away. It also covers who may be responsible under Florida law and which deadlines to watch.

Miami Gardens is home to Hard Rock Stadium, where the Miami Dolphins play. The city’s busy streets, older buildings, and yards near overhead lines are all places where shocks can happen.

What Electrocution Injuries Are and Why They’re Often Underestimated

An electrocution injury is harm caused when electric current travels through the body. The mark on the skin is often much smaller than the damage underneath.

Current can affect the heart, nerves, muscles, and organs. A shock with little visible mark can still disrupt how these systems work.

Federal workplace safety guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration explains that electric shock and electrocution are common hazards on the job. Some electrical events also cause severe burns. OSHA’s arc flash guidance describes arc flash as an electrical event that can cause severe burn injuries.

High-voltage and low-voltage shocks can both cause serious harm. In the most severe cases, electrical injuries can lead to burns, amputation, or paralysis.

Your doctors can explain what your own injuries mean. Follow the care they recommend. Our Miami electrocution injuries guide offers more background for Miami readers.

How Electrical Accidents Happen in Miami Gardens and Miami-Dade County

Most electrical accidents happen where people don’t expect a hazard. Examples include near an overhead line or inside an older wiring system.

Miami-Dade County’s electrical hazard safety tips name damaged or exposed wires, faulty household wiring, and overloaded circuits as common sources of injury.

In Miami Gardens and across Miami-Dade, common settings include:

• Overhead power lines near homes, yards, and driveways
• Construction sites and workplaces
• Rental homes and older buildings with worn wiring
• Pools and marinas near electrical equipment

People are often hurt while doing ordinary tasks. Trimming a tree or picking fruit near a line can lead to a serious shock. Stay well away from downed or sagging lines. Treat every line as live.

Why Electrical Injuries Can Be Hard to Judge Right Away

Many electrical injuries are not obvious at the scene. Symptoms may appear later.

A person may seem fine right after a shock. Later, they may develop heart rhythm problems, nerve damage, memory or concentration trouble, or delayed burns. FloridaHealthFinder’s electrical shock health encyclopedia covers the causes, effects, and symptoms of electrical shock.

Anyone who was shocked, even briefly, should see a doctor. Your physician is the right person to judge your injuries. Follow the care they recommend and keep every follow-up visit.

Keep your records, too. Save every medical record, bill, and receipt. Take photos of the scene and equipment if it is safe to do so. Write down what happened while your memory is fresh. These records can matter for any later claim.

Who May Be Responsible Under Florida Law

More than one party can share responsibility for an electrical injury. Who may be legally responsible for an injury depends on the facts of each case. A claim may arise when negligence or defective equipment contributed to a shock.

Florida applies comparative fault rules. That means each party’s share of blame matters. In a negligence action, under the Florida comparative fault statute, a court enters judgment against each party liable based on that party’s percentage of fault. This is not joint and several liability, which would make one party pay the whole amount. Each party pays only its own share.

The same statute says that in a negligence action, a party found greater than 50 percent at fault for his or her own harm may not recover any damages, except for personal injury or wrongful death claims arising out of medical negligence under chapter 766.

Evidence often decides how these questions are answered. Useful evidence can include:

• The location of the lines or wiring
• Work permits
• Maintenance records
• Witness accounts
• Inspection reports

A claim does not assume any company knew of a hazard. These questions turn on the evidence. Whether a claim exists depends on the facts.

Florida Deadlines and Steps to Protect a Claim

Florida sets filing deadlines for personal injury and wrongful death claims. Florida Statutes § 95.11 lists the time limits that apply.

Deadlines apply. Contact a lawyer early. Early contact helps protect both your time and your evidence.

When an electrical accident causes a death, the family’s path is different. Under Florida Statutes § 768.20, the decedent’s personal representative (the person who manages the deceased person’s affairs) brings the action. The action is for the benefit of the survivors and estate.

Under Florida Statutes § 768.21, a surviving spouse may recover for loss of companionship and protection, along with mental pain and suffering. Minor children may recover for lost parental companionship, instruction, and guidance, and for mental pain and suffering. If there is no surviving spouse, adult children may recover these damages too, except in claims for medical negligence as defined by s. 766.106(1).

Our Florida Practice and Your Free Consultation

CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida-based firm. It handles personal injury claims of every severity, including electrocution injuries.

Our team represents clients throughout Florida. That includes people in Miami Gardens and Miami-Dade County. Igor Hernandez is the responsible lawyer for this page.

Our first consultation is free and confidential. It comes with no obligation to continue.

CHG charges no attorney’s fees and no case costs unless there is a recovery.

Some matters may be referred to, or handled together with, another law firm. If that applies to your case, we will tell you.

Frequently Asked Questions