Quick Answer
If you or a loved one was seriously injured in an electrical accident or electrocution in South Carolina, you may be able to recover compensation from whoever caused the hazard, such as a property owner, utility company, equipment manufacturer, or negligent driver. If you were hurt at work, you may have a workers' compensation claim and, in some cases, a separate personal injury claim against someone other than your employer. Electrical injuries often cause internal damage that isn't visible right away, so get medical care first. Our firm helps people across South Carolina after life-changing electrical injuries, from our offices in Columbia and Myrtle Beach.
Call our office for a free consultation at (803) 790-2800 (Columbia) or (843) 427-2800 (Myrtle Beach), or use the live chat below.
What Happens When You Call Us
- Free consultation. Tell us what happened. We'll listen, answer your questions, and give you an honest assessment. There's no cost and no obligation.
- We move quickly to protect evidence. Wiring gets repaired, equipment gets replaced, and job sites change. We work to preserve the evidence that shows what happened, and we work with electrical experts when a case calls for it.
- We pursue every claim available to you. If you were hurt at work, we handle your workers' comp claim and investigate whether anyone else is responsible. You'll always know where your case stands.
Do You Have an Electrical Injury Case?
You may have a case if your injury was caused by someone else's carelessness, like an unsafe property, a downed or poorly maintained power line, or defective equipment. Electrical accidents require a careful investigation, and depending on how and where the injury happened, responsible parties may include:
- Property owners and landlords who allowed unsafe wiring or code violations
- Utility companies responsible for downed, low-hanging, or poorly maintained lines
- Manufacturers of defective tools, appliances, equipment, or safety gear
- Maintenance and service companies that failed to repair known hazards
- Contractors or other companies whose negligence created the hazard, in some situations
If you were hurt at work, workers' compensation is generally your only remedy against your own employer. But a separate claim against a responsible third party may also be possible, and it can include the pain and suffering workers' comp doesn't cover. South Carolina's "statutory employer" rules can protect certain contractors and project owners from personal injury lawsuits, so who can be held responsible depends on how the project was set up. Learn more about third-party injury claims and the South Carolina workers' compensation process.
Not every electrical injury leads to a case, and we'll tell you honestly if yours doesn't.
What Does an Electrical Injury Lawyer Cost in South Carolina?
You pay nothing up front. Our firm handles electrical injury cases on a contingency fee, and you owe no attorney fees or case costs unless we recover money for you. In workers' comp cases, attorney fees must also be approved by the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission.
Why Families Choose Our Firm After an SC Electrical Injury
- We listen first. We take the time to understand how the injury has affected your health, your family, and your future, including the everyday things that are harder now.
- We investigate thoroughly. We gather maintenance records, safety reports, and expert evaluations to show how the accident happened and who is responsible.
- We explain the full impact. Electrical injuries are often misunderstood because so much of the damage is internal. We help insurance companies, and juries when needed, understand the science and the human impact.
- We keep you informed. You'll get regular updates, and you can always reach us by phone or email.
See what our clients say about working with our team.
What Compensation is Available After a Electrical Injury?
Electrical injuries often require long-term medical care and can permanently change your ability to work and enjoy life. Depending on your case, a personal injury claim may include:
- Emergency, hospital, and burn care, including skin grafts and surgery
- Treatment for nerve, heart, and brain injuries
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Past and future lost income or earning capacity, when supported by the evidence
- Pain and suffering and emotional distress
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Long-term care and assistive devices
In some cases involving willful, wanton, or reckless conduct, South Carolina law may also allow punitive damages. If your injury happened at work, workers' comp benefits can include medical care, part of your lost wages, and permanent disability benefits, but not pain and suffering. That's why identifying a possible third-party claim matters so much. Learn more about catastrophic injury claims.
When an electrocution is fatal, the family may have a wrongful death claim, and, if it happened at work, may also be entitled to workers' comp death benefits.
Hurt by electricity, or lost a loved one in an electrocution accident? Call our office for a free consultation at (803) 790-2800 (Columbia) or (843) 427-2800 (Myrtle Beach).
How Serious Are Electrical Injuries?
An electrical injury happens when electrical current passes through the body. These injuries range from a painful shock to a fatal electrocution, and they're often far more serious than they look. Even when the skin shows only small burns, the current can cause serious damage inside the body.
Electrical injuries can cause:
- Severe burns, including entry and exit wounds
- Nerve and muscle damage
- Heart rhythm problems or cardiac arrest
- Brain injury, including injury from lack of oxygen
- Broken bones and other injuries from falls caused by the shock
- Vision or hearing problems
- Lasting emotional trauma
Some symptoms, like nerve damage, numbness, memory problems, and chronic pain, can develop or worsen over time. Because electrical injuries can cause internal damage that is not immediately obvious, it is important to seek medical evaluation after a significant electrical shock, especially if you have burns, pain, numbness, weakness, loss of consciousness, chest symptoms, or other concerning symptoms.
Common Causes of Electrical Accidents
At work and on construction sites
- Contact with overhead or buried power lines
- Exposed, damaged, or ungrounded wiring
- Faulty tools, extension cords, or equipment
- Failure to shut off and lock out power before repairs
- Defective circuit breakers or safety devices
Learn more about construction accident claims and electrical burn hazards for construction workers.
At homes, rentals, and businesses
- Poorly maintained wiring or outlets
- Unsafe renovations or electrical work done without proper permits
- Landlords or property managers who ignore known hazards
- Defective appliances and electronics
Other situations
- Downed power lines after storms or crashes
- Electrical hazards around pools, docks, and water
- Utility company negligence
What to Do After an Electrical Accident
- Get emergency medical care, even if you feel okay. Internal injuries can be life-threatening.
- Report the incident to your employer or the property owner right away. For work injuries, you generally must notify your employer within 90 days.
- Preserve evidence. Take photos of the equipment, wiring, power lines, or scene if you safely can.
- Get witness names and phone numbers.
- Don't discuss fault or sign anything from an insurance company before talking with a lawyer.
- Talk with a lawyer early, before repairs or replacements erase key evidence.
We Help People Across South Carolina
We represent people throughout South Carolina who have been seriously hurt in electrical and electrocution accidents, from our offices in Columbia (5205 Forest Drive) and Myrtle Beach (2411 N Oak St, Suite 105-F). From construction sites and industrial facilities to rental properties, hotels, and storm-damaged power lines, we can investigate what happened, wherever it happened in the state.
Talk With a South Carolina Electrical Injury Lawyer
Electrical injuries can turn your life upside down in an instant, but you don't have to navigate the insurance companies alone. Our team will listen, explain your options in plain language, and help you pursue a full and fair recovery.
Call our office for a free consultation at (803) 790-2800 (Columbia) or (843) 427-2800 (Myrtle Beach). You owe no attorney fees or case costs unless we recover money for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina Electrocutions and Electrical Injuries
Often, yes. If someone else's negligence caused the hazard, like a property owner, utility company, or equipment manufacturer, you may be able to bring a personal injury claim.
Generally, no. Workers' compensation is usually your only remedy against your own employer. But you may have a separate claim against another responsible party, like an equipment manufacturer or utility company.
Electrical current can damage nerves, muscles, and the heart without leaving obvious marks. Some injuries don't show symptoms right away, so a medical evaluation protects your health and documents your injury.
People often search for "electrocution" after a serious electrical accident, but technically, electrocution means death caused by electricity. A nonfatal injury caused by electrical current is generally called an electrical injury or electric shock injury.
Most personal injury claims in South Carolina must be filed within three years. Work injuries generally must be reported within 90 days and a workers' comp claim filed within two years. Some situations have different deadlines, so talk with an attorney early.