Burn Injury

Maryland Electrical Burn Injury Lawyers

Helping accident victims and workers when electrical burns happen

Electrical burn injuries are common at work sites and properties where workers and visitors may be exposed to dangerous electrical currents. Most electrical burn injuries are preventable. When property owners, third parties, utility companies, manufacturers, or others fail to take proper safety precautions, serious injuries and fatalities can occur.

At Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A., we’ve been fighting for Maryland residents and workers since 1985. We understand how electrical burn injuries happen and who may be liable.

Employers are generally subject to Maryland workers’ compensation laws for employee injuries. Injured employees may have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim if they suffer electrical burns during the scope of their employment. Our Maryland electrical burn injury lawyers seek compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Call us today to assert your right to compensation.

How can we help?

What are electrical burns?

According to the American Burn Association, an electrical burn can occur when electricity enters and exits the body. The electrical current creates heat, which can cause damage to the skin, tissues, muscles, and nerves. Electrical injuries can also damage the heart. Some electrical injuries (electrocutions) may be fatal.

Some electrical injuries are thermal injuries caused by an electrical flash, rather than by current flowing directly through the body.

What causes electrical burn injuries in Maryland?

Some of the causes of electrical burns include:

  • Contact with exposed electrical wires and power lines. Contact with live wires or faulty electrical tools and equipment can cause serious, catastrophic, and deadly injuries.
  • Lightning. Direct or indirect lightning strikes can cause electrical burns.
  • Workplace accidents. Employees who work in construction, manufacturing, and landscaping generally have a high risk of electrical burn injuries.
  • Defective electrical products. Defective power tools, appliances, and other products can cause electrical burn injuries.
  • Downed power lines. Fallen or damaged power lines can remain energized and cause severe or fatal electrical burns upon contact.
  • Electrical outlets. Faulty, overloaded, or improperly grounded outlets can expose people to dangerous electrical currents and electrical burns.

Another cause of electrical burns, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is electric arc flash and arc blasts. OSHA states that:

An electric arc is a type of electrical explosion. The electric arc produces a bright flash of hot gas, where temperatures can exceed 35,000 °F (19,400 °C), nearly four times the heat of the sun’s surface. The energy released in the arc rapidly heats and vaporizes the metal conducting the electricity, producing an explosive arc blast resulting in deafening noises, supersonic concussive forces, and super-heated shrapnel. Most arc flash burn injuries are a result of the arc igniting flammable clothing and not from the arc itself.

What are the different categories of electrical burn injuries?

Some of the factors that affect the severity of electrical burns include the type of current (AC or DC), the path through the body, the length of the contact, and the strength (as mentioned above) of the current.

Electrical burns are divided into the following categories:

  • Low-voltage injury (< 1000 V)
  • High-voltage injury (> 1000 V)

Other categories may apply depending on the specific cause of the electrical burn.

  • Low-voltage electrical burns include burns at the entry site (such as the hands or skull) and at the exit site (such as the heels that are in contact with the ground).
  • High-voltage electrical burns may cause the following:
    • Direct contact, which causes a painless, full-thickness, indented, yellowish-grey skin burn that is sometimes accompanied by central necrosis.
    • A flashing high voltage injury that can cause a superficial burn, a partial thickness burn, or a devastating full-thickness injury brought about by an electric arc.
    • An electric arc or spark, including a lightning strike. This type of electrical discharge occurs between a highly charged source and the ground, reaching temperatures of up to 2500°C.

What are the different types of electrical burn injuries?

Doctors diagnose electrical burns by examining the various organs, the total body surface areas of the burns, and other tests and factors.

Electrical burn injuries can damage the following:

  • Skin. Cutaneous burns.
  • Heart. Arrhythmia and cardiac arrest.
  • Respiratory arrest. Breathing may stop due to the disruption of the muscles and nerves that control respiration.
  • Vascular system injuries due to the development of an aneurysm and/or tissue ischemia.
  • Neurological system injuries. These may include loss of consciousness, spinal cord injury, paralysis, paraesthesia (usually transient), and peripheral neuropathy.
  • Musculoskeletal system injuries. These may include muscle necrosis and compartment syndrome, as well as fractures.
  • Kidney damage. This may include renal failure.

Electrical burn injuries may include:

  • Injuries from falls, such as traumatic brain injuries
  • Amputations
  • Permanent disability
  • Death

What are the treatments for electrical burn injuries?

The treatments for electrical burn injuries vary depending on the type of injury, the severity of the injury, the patient’s overall health, and other factors. Treatments may include the following:

  • Pre-hospital setting. These steps include turning off the power source, making sure the victim isn’t in contact with live wires before touching the victim, evaluating the patient for possible cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), pain management, and fluid management.
  • Wound management. Healthcare providers may manage the wounds by using:
    • “Cleansing: debride loose tissue and blister remnants
    • Moisturizing to promote early epithelialization
    • Applying broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents”
  • Surgery. This treatment may include steps to address:
    • Progressive sensory and motor dysfunction
    • Severe pain
    • Loss of arterial signal on Doppler ultrasound
    • Inadequate early resuscitation

Additional treatments may include wound closure, excision, grafting, pain management, and rehabilitative therapy.

Complications from severe electrical burns include:

  • Scarring
  • Neurological disorders
  • PTSD and depression
  • Cataracts
  • Heterotopic ossification and neuromas
  • Death

Who do your lawyers hold accountable for electrical burn injuries?

Our Maryland electrical burn injury lawyers work with liability professionals and, through the discovery process, to hold everyone responsible for your burn injuries accountable. The defendants in personal injury and wrongful death cases may include:

  • General contractors
  • Third-party subcontractors
  • Property owners and landlords
  • Employers (of non-employees)
  • Utility companies
  • Manufacturers of defective electrical equipment

We can also file workers’ compensation claims for employees with their employers.

What compensation can victims receive for electrical burn cases in Maryland?

At Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A., we can seek full compensation based on the type of claim you have. We file the following types of electrical burn injury claims:

Personal injury lawsuit

Personal injury claims require showing that a business or person breached their duty to keep you safe from electrical burns. Our burn injury lawyers seek compensation for all your non-economic and economic damages (for as long as your injuries affect you), including:

  • Medical costs
  • Lost income
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of bodily function
  • The loss of life’s pleasures
  • Loss of consortium
  • Property damage
  • Punitive damages where Maryland law permits

Workers’ compensation claims

In workers’ compensation cases, we seek the following compensation for employees who suffer electrical burns during the scope of their employment:

  • All medical expenses, even if you can return to work
  • Temporary disability benefits
  • Permanent disability benefits
  • Vocational rehabilitation benefits

Death benefits

We file wrongful death claims for families of a loved one whose fatal electrical burn injuries are due to the fault of others.

We can also seek workers’ compensation death benefits for eligible family members if an employee suffers a fatal injury during the scope of their employment.

What steps should I take after an electrical burn injury?

Some of the essential steps after an electrical accident include:

  • Safely removing the source of the electrical injury
  • Obtaining medical care at a burn center or a hospital emergency room
  • Reporting the incident to your employer, OSHA, or local authorities
  • Preserving any physical evidence or photographic evidence of the cause of the accident – if safe to do so
  • Obtaining the contact information of any witnesses
  • Contacting our experienced electrical burn injury attorneys immediately

Electrical burn injury FAQs

How long do I have to file an electrical injury lawsuit?

Please contact us immediately. We need to investigate the cause of your electrical injuries to know who is responsible. We want to make sure that you are receiving the medical care you need.

  • Generally, the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in Maryland is within three years from the date of your injuries. Some exceptions, for governmental claims and other claims, may apply. The statute of limitations for minor victims is generally tolled until the minor reaches age 18.
  • In Maryland, you must notify your employer within 10 days of the injury and file a formal claim with the Commission within two years. While the final deadline is two years, failing to file a formal claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission within 60 days could prevent it from moving forward if waiting prevented the employer from investigating the claim.
  • We can explain what deadlines apply if an electrical injury is fatal. Generally, wrongful death claims must be filed within three years of the date of death.

Where do I go for treatment of electrical burn injuries?

The primary Maryland burn center is the Johns Hopkins Burn Center at Bayview in Baltimore, Maryland. There are other burn centers in Washington DC. Victims can also go to their nearest hospital emergency room.

Can I file a claim if I was injured at work?

Yes. Employees can file a workers’ compensation claim without the need to prove fault if the accident occurs during the scope of their employment.

Independent contractors generally must file a personal injury claim.

What if faulty equipment caused my injury?

Both employees and independent contractors can file a third-party claim against a manufacturer of defective electrical tools, equipment, or other products.

Do you have a Maryland electrical burn injury lawyer near me?

Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. has the following office locations:

  • 575 S Charles St, Suite 504, Baltimore, MD
  • 10211 Wincopin Circle, Suite 620, Columbia, MD

We help accident victims in Columbia, Baltimore, Frederick, and elsewhere in Maryland. We also conduct consultations by phone and through online video platforms, like Zoom and FaceTime. If necessary, we can arrange to see you at your home or another location.

We can answer your questions, review your rights, and explain how the claims process works.

Get help from our Maryland electrical burn injury lawyer now

We understand how anxious and upset you are. Your burn injuries hurt. You can’t do what you did before the accident. Your bills are mounting.

Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A., has the experience and resources to help you obtain justice.

Please call us or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle burn injury cases on a contingency fee basis. We’re ready to help you now.

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