Power Lines

Electrical Injury Lawyer: Power Line Accidents

Whether they are overhead or underground, electrical power lines can cause extremely serious injuries and wrongful death.

When a person or conductive object comes into contact with an overhead power line, electrocution can result.

The attorneys of Rouda, Feder, Tietjen & McGuinn obtained $29 million in compensation for a lineman who was injured in a power line accident. While working from a bucket truck stringing fiber-optic cable, he backed into a 7,200-volt power line. He suffered bilateral amputation of both arms, burns over 45 percent of his body and became paraplegic.

 Dangers Overhead

Accidents involving overhead power lines can occur in a number of ways.

• A vehicle or part of a vehicle can hit the power line. Truck drivers and machinery operators can be injured when they raise the bed of a dump truck, the bucket of a cherry picker, the boom of a crane or the antenna of a satellite truck.
• Linemen, electricians, cable installers and utility workers can be injured if they are not given proper instructions about which overhead power lines are live and which are not.
• Anyone working at a height, from roofers and window washers to painters and tree trimmers must beware of the significant dangers of power lines.

Dangers Underground

Underground power lines present a digging risk. Homeowners, handymen and landscapers as well as construction workers and operators of backhoes, Bobcats and posthole diggers can suffer a power line accident from mistakenly cutting into or contacting with an underground line. It is extremely important to check with the local utility company before digging or drilling.

Downed Lines

A bad storm, high winds or an accident can bring live, overhead power lines to the ground, where they present a deadly threat to anyone passing by. If you notice downed lines, do not go near them. Contact your utility company immediately.

At Rouda, Feder, Tietjen & McGuinn, our attorneys have successfully represented clients who sustained severe electrical injuries at home and on the job. If you or someone you care about is the victim of an electrical shock or burn from contact with a power line, please contact us to discuss your legal rights and options. We offer a free initial consultation. From our offices in San Francisco, we represent clients throughout California and nationwide.

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