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

An electrocution injury happens when electric current passes through the body. It can cause severe burn injuries. Jacksonville residents should know about these injuries.

If another person’s careless conduct caused the shock, the injured person may have a legal claim.

Jacksonville runs on electricity. Power lights up everything. It runs Jaguars games and the cranes on downtown construction sites. These injuries can happen in many places across the city.

Severe Burn Injuries Jacksonville: What an Electric Shock Does to the Body

Electric current can harm the body in several ways at once:

• It can burn the skin where the current enters and where it exits.
• It can damage the nerves and muscles under the surface.
• It can change the rhythm of the heart.

An electric shock can also make a person fall. A fall may happen from a ladder, a roof, or a dock. That fall can cause head or spinal cord injuries.

Some effects do not appear right away. Symptoms can show up hours or days after a shock. Anyone who has received a shock should see a doctor. Do this even if they feel fine.

Follow the care plan your doctors give you. Attend all follow-up visits.

In the most serious cases, electrical injuries can lead to amputation or long-term disability. Amputation means losing a limb. Families who hear this news often need time, clear information, and steady support.

Your medical care is up to your doctors. Our role is to explain the legal side of what happened.

Where Electrocution Injuries Happen in Jacksonville

Electrocution injuries in Jacksonville often happen where people work near power, water, or storm damage. Several settings come up again and again.

Docks and marinas on the river. Docks, boat lifts, and power connections along the St. Johns River bring people close to water and live wires. Wet surfaces can make a shock more dangerous.

Construction sites. Crews downtown and along busy avenues often work near overhead and underground power lines. A crane, ladder, or metal pole that touches a line can carry current to a worker.

Storm-affected areas. After a severe storm, power lines can fall or hang low. Walking or driving near a downed line can be deadly. Touching a fence or a puddle near it can also be deadly. Stay away. Report the line to the power company, or call 911.

Homes and rental properties. Pools, rental houses, apartments, and old wiring can cause shocks. This often happens when equipment fails or is not properly maintained.

Workplaces. Warehouses, shipyards, and maintenance jobs depend on electrical equipment every day.

Who May Share Responsibility

A claim can involve more than one party. The right parties depend on how the shock happened. Possible parties include:

• The electric company
• A contractor
• The property owner or landlord
• The equipment manufacturer
• The employer

These are questions to investigate. They are not conclusions about who is at fault.

Investigators often ask several questions:

• Were lines cleared or marked near the work area?
• Were warnings and barriers in place?
• Was the wiring and equipment maintained?
• Were the required safety steps followed?

The answers depend on the facts of each shock.

Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81, the court enters judgment against each liable party. A judgment is the court’s final decision. Each party pays based on that party’s percentage of fault. A liable party is one who is legally responsible for the harm.

Florida Deadlines and How Fault Is Decided

Florida law sets filing deadlines for injury lawsuits. For example, Fla. Stat. § 95.11 generally requires actions founded on negligence to start within 2 years. The statute sets out limits.

Families also have deadlines for wrongful death claims. A wrongful death claim is a lawsuit that family members file after a loved one dies. Act promptly.

Deadlines apply. Contact a lawyer early. Do not wait.

Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81, fault chargeable to the injured person reduces the amount awarded. The reduction matches that person’s share of fault. The statute says this “does not bar recovery, subject to subsection (6).”

Comparative fault means responsibility is divided among the people involved; under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), in a negligence action to which this section applies, any party found greater than 50 percent at fault for his or her own harm may not recover any damages, although this does not apply to an action for damages for personal injury or wrongful death arising out of medical negligence pursuant to chapter 766.

Reporting the incident. Report it to the electric company, the property owner, or the employer. Ask for a written incident report. Keep a copy.

Steps to Protect Your Claim in the First Days

• Get medical care first. Keep all records, bills, and discharge instructions.
• Report the incident. Notify the electric company, the property owner, or the employer. Ask for a written incident report and keep a copy.
• Take photos. Capture the scene, the damaged equipment, any warning signs, and your injuries. Note the weather and the time of day.
• Preserve evidence. Keep the clothing, tools, or devices involved in the shock. Do not repair or throw them away.
• Write down names. Record the phone numbers of witnesses and anyone who responded. This includes fire and police personnel.

Memory fades. Write down details while they are still fresh.

Be careful with recorded statements given to insurance adjusters. Adjusters are the claims workers for insurance companies. Speak with a lawyer before giving one.

Talk with CHG Personal Injury Lawyers About Your Jacksonville Case

CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida-based firm. It handles personal injury cases of every severity. That includes electrocution injuries.

Igor Hernandez is the lawyer responsible for this page. The firm’s lawyers are admitted to The Florida Bar. The firm serves clients throughout Florida, including Jacksonville.

Your first consultation is free and confidential. There is no obligation to continue. CHG does not charge attorney’s fees or case costs unless there is a recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions