Electric Shock Drowning Lawsuit

Throughout the United States swimmers at boat docks, marinas, boat slips and piers are often faced with low levels of electrical current leaking from an ungrounded electric power sources. This energized electrical field is most often found in fresh water marinas due to short in an electrical line, power source grounding or shorting on a motor, pump, metal line, light, heating strip or anywhere a power line might come in contact with metal or water and leak. A cut or an abrasion to a power cord, service line or insulation on a wire is enough to begin the current flow and and can cause an electric shock drowning death.

Sources for potential electrical leakage and dangers exists at:

• Marinas
• Boat Docks & Piers
• Barge & Marine Terminals
• Jacuzzi & Swimming Pool Equipment
• Pool Lights (older pools with 120 volt AC underwater lighting)
• Waterparks
• Boat Houses
• Electric Boat Lifts
• Fishing Piers With AC Power Outlets
• House Boats With Onshore Power
• Generators, Pumps, Motors, Heaters, Lights on Boats
• Temporary Power Equipment Used On Boats / Marinas

This energized electrical field can overwhelm even a good swimmer especially younger ones that might not instantly understand the magnitude of the danger they face. This can happen when persons swim near docks, working at marinas in the water, doing boat motor or bottom / hull work on boat’s exterior or even just floating in a tube. The electrical field is similar to how biologist place a temporary electric charge in the water to paralyze fish for capture or identification. The electrical charge stuns and overwhelms the body’s muscle making movement away from the field difficult or impossible. When this happens the body can slip helplessly below the surface and drown. The low voltage AC electricity can actually stop the heart for some swimmers, but without immediate termination of current flow and quick medical attention, death is soon to follow.

The new National Electrical Code- NEC 2011, 555.3 requires for ground fault protection at all in marinas and docks with shore based power supplies, however according to experts most marinas, boat stalls and docks are not in compliance and even when they become compliant, a visiting boat that is not up to code with electrical wiring problems or voltage leakage, can re-create the danger.

Electric Shock Drowning Negligence Lawsuit

If you have had a loved one seriously injured or lost a loved one due to an electric shock drowning (ESD) and you believe the boat owner, product maker, marina or terminal owner or operator, or the electrical contractor was at fault for failing to properly ground the electrical equipment or for other acts of negligence or other violations of the electrical code, then call our maritime injury law firm and talk to a lawyer very familiar with electric shock drowning lawsuit and ready to help you and your family. Mr. Willis is a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer with over 30 years of legal experience. Call and get a Free Confidential Consultation at 1-800-883-9858.