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Claim for being Electrocuted at Work

I know that I can claim compensation for workplace injuries but can I claim for being electrocuted at work when the electric fan that caused my electrocution had faulty firing?

A claim for being electrocuted at work is possible if it is clear that the electric fan was damaged and resulted in you receiving a serious shock. However, the problem for claiming compensation for this type of injury is determining who was responsible for the accident and proving that another party had been negligent.

The difficulty in a claim for being electrocuted at work is that a faulty fan is more than likely not of sufficient cost to justify repairs being made, and when damaged equipment causes an accident in an office, employers are often quick to remove the equipment in question to avoid another such accident. This could mean that the fan was disposed of, which will make it difficult to establish where the fault with the fan lay and who was responsible for that fault.

It may not necessarily be your employer who is liable for your injuries, even though he or she should not have permitted a fan with faulty wiring to be used in the office, which could mean that your claim for being electrocuted at work could not be made against him or her. As the wiring was faulty, the blame could be assigned to the fan’s manufacturer and if this is the case, it may only be possible to make your compensation claim against them.

That said, even if the fan was disposed of, it does not mean that your claim for being electrocuted at work would be automatically disqualifies. There may be a case against your employer for neglecting to install a circuit breaker in the office to decrease the threat of an injury being caused to anyone who came in contact with live electrical office equipment.

You would be well advised to speak with a solicitor who can assist you with collecting all of the relevant evidence needed in your claim for being electrocuted at work. Your solicitor can assess your claim and if determined viable, he or she would be able to complete all the legal processes and documents and can submit the application of assessment to the Injuries Board Ireland.