Riverside Electrocution Accidents Lawyers at The Accident Network Law Group

Electrical shock injuries are unlike other accident claims because the cause is rarely visible after the fact. A downed line, a miswired outlet, or a defective tool leaves little physical trace at the scene, yet the internal damage to a person’s heart, nerves, and tissue can be severe. Our Riverside electrocution accident attorneys know how to identify what actually failed and who is responsible for it.

The Accident Network Law Group has represented injured clients across Costa Mesa, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Apple Valley, Bakersfield, and Victorville since 1999. Attorney Damoun A. Yazdi brings more than 12 years of personal injury experience and the courtroom background of a former law clerk at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to every electrical injury case, and our firm handles these claims on a contingency basis, so you owe nothing unless we recover for you.

California generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a claim under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. Contact us for a free consultation. Se habla espanol.

How Electrical Shock Accidents Happen

Contact with an overhead power line is one of the most common causes of severe electrocution, particularly during construction work involving cranes, scaffolding, or ladders operated near energized lines.

Defective or aging wiring in older buildings, and improperly completed wiring in newer construction, causes shocks and fires. Property owners and landlords have an ongoing duty to maintain safe electrical systems in the buildings they own.

Defective products, including appliances, power tools, and extension cords that malfunction and deliver unexpected current, can create a product liability claim against the manufacturer or distributor rather than, or in addition to, a claim against a property owner.

Water intrusion into electrical systems in flooded, damaged, or poorly maintained buildings creates a serious shock hazard, as does improper grounding or insulation failure in commercial and industrial equipment during routine use or maintenance.

The Codes That Govern Electrical Safety in California

California’s Electrical Safety Orders, part of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, set specific requirements for guarding against contact with energized equipment. Section 2946 prohibits requiring or permitting any worker to perform work in proximity to energized high-voltage lines unless the danger of accidental contact has been effectively guarded against, and it restricts operating cranes, tools, or equipment near overhead high-voltage lines to specific minimum clearance distances.

Overhead power line construction itself, including the clearance utilities must maintain between conductors and the ground, buildings, and vegetation, is governed by the California Public Utilities Commission’s General Order 95. A utility that fails to maintain the clearances or maintenance standards required by General Order 95 can be a named defendant when its line causes an injury.

Wiring inside buildings is governed by the California Electrical Code, Title 24 Part 3 of the California Code of Regulations, which adopts the National Electrical Code with California-specific amendments. A documented violation of these adopted wiring standards, whether by an electrician, a contractor, or a property owner who skipped a required inspection, is often central evidence in a defective-wiring case.

Who Can Be Held Responsible

Depending on how the shock occurred, responsible parties may include the utility company that owns or maintains the line, the property owner or landlord responsible for a building’s wiring, the contractor or electrician who performed defective work, and the manufacturer of a defective appliance, tool, or extension cord. If your electrical injury happened at work and a third party outside your employer contributed to it, you may also have a claim in addition to any workers’ compensation benefits you receive.

The Medical Reality of an Electrical Shock

Electrical injuries are often more severe internally than they appear externally, which is why prompt and thorough medical evaluation matters after any shock.

Cardiac arrhythmias caused by current passing through the heart can be immediately life-threatening and may continue to cause complications for weeks after the initial exposure. Deep tissue burns at the current’s entry and exit points are frequently far more extensive beneath the skin than the surface wound suggests.

Nerve damage from electrical current can cause persistent pain, numbness, weakness, and, in severe cases, permanent neuropathy. Falls triggered by the shock itself, from ladders, scaffolding, or other elevated positions, frequently add traumatic injuries on top of the electrical harm, and psychological effects following a severe shock are common and legally compensable.

Compensation Available in an Electrical Injury Case

Economic damages include emergency and cardiac care, burn treatment and skin grafts, physical therapy, lost income during recovery, and any reduction in future earning capacity. Non-economic damages address pain and suffering, emotional distress, and permanent disfigurement or disability.

California places no statutory cap on compensatory damages in an electrical injury case. Where a utility, contractor, or manufacturer’s conduct rises to malice, oppression, or fraud, such as knowingly ignoring a known code violation, California Civil Code Section 3294 permits punitive damages as well.

Protecting Your Claim After an Electrical Shock

1. Get emergency medical evaluation immediately, even if you feel fine; cardiac and internal injuries from shock are not always immediately apparent
2. Do not touch, move, or attempt to repair the wire, outlet, or equipment involved after the shock
3. Photograph the equipment, wiring, or line involved, along with any visible entry and exit burns
4. If a utility line was involved, request that the utility preserve its incident report and any line maintenance records
5. If a product was involved, keep the device exactly as it was, including any cords, packaging, or manuals
6. Avoid giving a recorded statement to a utility company’s or property owner’s insurer before speaking with an attorney
7. Contact our firm promptly; claims generally must be filed within two years under CCP Section 335.1, and a claim against a government-owned utility must be presented within six months under Government Code Section 911.2

How Utilities and Insurers Respond to Electrical Injury Claims

Utility companies and product manufacturers typically send their own investigators to the scene quickly, and their findings are prepared to support the company’s position, not yours. Expect an early request for a recorded statement and, in some cases, an offer made before your medical treatment is complete.

Insurers and corporate defendants often argue that a code violation was minor, that the victim was in a restricted area, or that a product was misused rather than defective. Attorney Yazdi’s background as a personal injury paralegal, combined with his courtroom training as a former Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office law clerk, shapes how our firm investigates the electrical code and maintenance records that decide these disputes.

We handle all communication with the utility, contractor, or manufacturer’s insurer, retain electrical engineering experts where needed, and file suit when a fair resolution is not offered.

Why Electrical Shock Victims Choose The Accident Network Law Group

Our attorneys have represented injured clients throughout Riverside County, Orange County, and San Bernardino County for more than 25 years, and we treat electrical injury cases as requiring the same code and engineering-based investigation as any complex liability claim.

• Attorney Yazdi personally reviews every electrical injury case our firm accepts
• We work with electrical and safety engineering experts to establish what code or standard was violated
• Bilingual staff serve English and Spanish speaking clients; se habla espanol
• Representation is available 24/7 and provided entirely on contingency, with no upfront cost to you

If an electrical shock from a power line, defective wiring, or a faulty product has injured you or a family member, contact The Accident Network Law Group today for a free consultation.