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Electrical Injury at Work

If you or a family member has been injured while working as an electrician, contact our electrical injury at work solicitors as early as possible to pursue a claim. Electrical shock is one of the leading causes of work-related injury, comprising 7% of all workplace fatalities.

Table of Contents

    What is an electrical injury?

    Electrical injury occurs when the body experiences levels of current that alter electrophysiological function or cause tissue damage. In general, tissue damage depends on the strength of the electrical field, the frequency and duration of current flow, and the tissue type that has been exposed. Most common injuries result from contact with commercial electrical power sources in the home and workplace.

    Nerves and muscles communicate via small electrical pulses. An abnormal electrical current can directly stimulate nerves and muscles. When direct muscle stimulation occurs, the brain is no longer in control of the muscle, and the shocked person cannot move the hand away from the power source. This is known as a ‘not let go’ phenomenon.

    Even when the injury does not involve any visible tissue damage, electrical trauma survivors may be left with significant consequences. Even brief electrical shocks may result in permanent damage to components of the nervous system, resulting in subtle abnormalities or persistent pain. The impact of electrical shock on brain function can be immediate or delayed depending on the path of the current.

    Claim process

    1. Contact our solicitor

    Our accidents in the workplace solicitors are experts in advising clients on how to make these claims. Many people use a solicitor to aid with this application process as a lot of paperwork and filing are required, and our expert team is on hand to make the process as smooth as possible.

    2. The PIAB Application

    The next step is to make an application to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB). If your personal injury claim concerns anything other than medical negligence, some assaults, and some cases of entirely psychological injury, then your claim can be brought through PIAB. Examples of claims that PIAB covers include:

    • Workplace injury
    • Road traffic accidents
    • Catastrophic injury
    • Accidents in public places

    3. Submitting information and documents to PIAB

    Your solicitor will obtain evidence, medical reports, and other expert reports required. And submits these documents to the Board for Assessment.

    4. Consent to assess the claim

    Once the application is made, PIAB issues a formal notification of the claim to the defendant(s). The defendant(s) must indicate within 90 days whether or not they consent to the assessment of the claim. If the defendant consents, then PIAB will proceed to assess the claim. If they decline to have the case assessed, the PIAB will issue an Authorisation to allow the claimant to initiate court proceedings.

    5. Claim assessment time

    If PIAB is assessing the claim, this will usually take about 9 months. They will then issue their Assessment of your claim, this amount reflects general and special damages awarded in respect of your claim. If the Assessment is accepted by both parties, the PIAB will issue an Order to Pay. The Order to Pay has the same status as an Order of the Court, and must be discharged by the defendant(s) within 10 days. A settlement cheque will then be issued to the claimant.

    If the Assessment is rejected by either party, an Authorisation will be granted by PIAB to bring court proceedings.

    Compensation amount

    How much compensation you receive for an accident in the workplace is dictated by two legally binding documents known as:

    The “Book of Quantum” and

    The recently published Personal Injuries Guidelines by the Judicial Council of Ireland.

    The Book of Quantum dictates how much compensation you are owed if your Authorisation was received from PIAB prior to the 21st of April 2021. In all other cases, compensation in respect of general damages is assessed with the aid of the Judicial council’s Personal Injuries Guidelines.

    The Book of Quantum sets out general guidelines as to the amounts that may be awarded or assessed in Personal Injury Claims. The guidelines are divided into sections depending on what category of injury was suffered, e.g., head injuries, neck injuries, back injuries and spinal fractures, upper limb injuries, lower limb injuries, and body and internal organs. The Book of Quantum sets out 4 steps to assess what compensation is appropriate for the suffered injury. These steps are as follows:

    1. Identify the category of injury
    2. Assess the severity of the injury (through medical reports and records)
    3. Research the value range
    4. Consider the effect of multiple injuries

    The Personal Injuries Guidelines were adopted by The Judicial Council on the 6th of March 2021. Similar to the Book of Quantum, this legal document sets out guidelines for assessing compensation in respect of general damages. The general principles for this assessment centre on three criteria:

    1. Awards of damages must be fair and reasonable to both the claimant and the defendant(s)
    2. Awards must be proportionate to the injuries sustained
    3. Awards must be compared on a scale of injuries that are both of a lesser and greater magnitude

    One of the most substantial differences brought about by this update is that the average level of damages awarded has been reduced. However, the new guidelines have provided more details and explanations for claimants, which is a welcomed change to the process of making a personal injury claim.

    An employer responsibilities

    Employer liability

    Employers’ responsibilities to workers have evolved over the years in the civil courts, and the employer’s duty of care to each of his employees can be reduced to five headings.

    Put simply, the employer must provide:

    1. Safe systems of work,
    2. A safe place of work,
    3. Plant and machinery that is safe to use,
    4. Competent supervision and/or suitable training and,
    5. Care in the selection of fellow employees.

    All claims involving accidents in the workplace (employer liability cases) must be submitted to Personal Injuries Assessment Board before starting legal proceedings. Employers must ensure the minimum health and safety standards in order to prevent (as much as possible) their employees from being injured due to an accident at work.

    Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, employers have a duty to ensure their employee’s safety, health, and welfare at work as far as is reasonably practicable.

    In order to prevent workplace injuries and ill health, you are required, among other things, to

    • Provide and maintain a safe workplace, machinery, and equipment
    • Prevent risks from use of any article or substance and from exposure to physical agents, noise, and vibration
    • Prevent any improper conduct or behavior likely to put the safety, health, and welfare of employees at risk (“horseplay” and bullying at work come within these categories)
    • Provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety
    • Provide protective clothing and equipment to employees (at no cost to employees)
    • Appoint a competent person as the organisation’s Safety Officer

    Compensation in detail

    There are four main components to an injury compensation settlement.

    1. Compensation for general pain

    Compensation for general damages is calculated using the recently published Personal Injuries Guidelines by the Judicial Council of Ireland. (a publication that lists a variety of injuries and assigns them a financial value depending on the severity of the injury)

    2. Compensation for the non-financial changes

    Compensation for the non-financial changes you had to make in your life as a result of the injury – e.g., unable to complete domestic tasks, unable to participate in leisure pursuits or enjoy social events that would be a part of your normal routine, loss of amenity – such as being unable to care for your young children or elderly, or if you’re depressed due to incapacitation.

    3. Compensation for any emotional trauma

    Compensation for any emoitional trauma that you may have been diagnosed with due to the nature of the accident, how the accident had occurred, or development while you were in recovery. These are known as psychological injuries. It typically takes time to manifest and the consequences can be debilitating.

    4. Compensation for special damages

    Compensation for special damages to recover any expenses you may have incurred or may incur in the future as a result of your injury – such as loss of income, medical fees, therapy costs, pharmacy costs, using other forms of transport due to being unable to drive, and even restructuring your home if your accident has left you confined to a wheelchair. These are generally the main examples of compensation under the four main components of an injury compensation settlement.

    It is advisable to speak to a solicitor to determine which type of expenses can be recovered, and it is highly recommended to keep all receipts for anything you spend on (such as medical fees, pharmacy costs, transport costs, etc.) during the recovery of your injury at work. Having the receipts will smoothen the process of your solicitor negotiating the best and fairest possible settlement for you in all circumstances.

    Statute of Limitations

    You have two years from the date of the accident within which to issue proceedings. If you are under 18, a separate set of rules apply, and we would recommend you contact our solicitors to discuss these. Learn more about the statute of limitation

    Our team

    Coleman Legal LLP Team

    If you have experienced injury or an accident in the workplace and have questions surrounding the incident, please get in touch with our workplace injury solicitors at Coleman Legal to find out if you have a potential legal action against your employer. Our dedicated team has a collective experience of over 30 years, and we are ready to advise and assist you with your claim.

    If you want to take legal action over an injury, you should consult our accidents in the workplace solicitors, who are members of the Law Society’s injury accreditation scheme and clinical negligence accreditation scheme. Contact Rose Sweeney or Philip Treacy by email or FREE phone at 1800 844 104 to see how we can help you in relation to your injury or accident in the workplace.

    Coleman Legal LLP

    Solicitors
    84 Talbot Street, Dublin 1
    D01 YX60
    DX 112002

    Contact Details

    Free Phone: 1800-844-104
    Fax: (01) 5312727
    Email: [email protected]
    Web: www.colemanlegal.ie
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    Clodagh Magennis

    Clodagh Magennis

    Head of Client Services

    P: 1800-844-104
    E: [email protected]

    ”At Coleman Legal, excellence in customer care is paramount. We aim to meet both prospective and existing client’s needs in a professional, engaging, and friendly manner with a clear objective to give quality legal advice and reach a positive outcome.”

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