Electricians are at risk of getting electrocuted due to the nature of their jobs, but anyone who works in an office or other environment can also encounter this type of injury. Faulty wiring, for example, may lead you to getting electrocuted and seriously burned. Most employers will acknowledge their mistake and agree to give you the compensation that you deserve, but it's possible that you work for someone unscrupulous who not only deny your claim, but also denies that your injury took place at work. You and your workers' compensation attorney will need to work quickly and thoroughly to document the accident, as your employer may attempt to hide it using these methods.
Fixing The Wiring
Even after it has electrocuted you, the faulty wiring in your place of work will remain a danger to other employees. Your company may be concerned about future injuries, but also feel a desire to fix the problem so that it can argue that your electrocution didn't happen on the job. The company may hire an electrician soon after your injury to fix the problem. This way, when your attorney sends an investigator, he or she will find that the wiring isn't actually faulty.
Removing Signs Of A Burn
During an electrocution incident, there are often burn marks around the scene. For example, there might be soot on the wall above a faulty outlet, or the carpet may be singed to some degree. These indicators are excellent evidence for your workers' compensation suit, and an unscrupulous employer knows this. Your company may look to remove these signs promptly — perhaps by having the wall repainted or even the drywall replaced, and by tearing out the carpet and replacing it, too.
Cleaning The Smell
An electrocution can leave an unpleasant odor in the air. Not only will there be a burning smell from anything in the office that may have caught on fire, but there may also be the seriously unpleasant smell of burning flesh or hair. An investigator who visits the scene in the days following your electrocution will be able to notice these indicators, so an unscrupulous employer may have to work quickly to hide the evidence. Your company could hire a commercial cleaning service to use heavy fans to clear the air out of the workplace, and may also use scented products to freshen the smell.
With these points in mind, trying to document the scene of your workplace injury as soon as possible after it occurs will be pivotal to your case.
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