A lineman in Birmingham was recently medivacked to a nearby hospital after he received a shock from a power line. The man was working as a contractor for Cullman Electric Cooperative when he was injured in the vicinity of County Road 703 and Walter. Cullman Electric confirmed that he works for a Chattanooga, TN-based electric company, APL Power Services.
Cullman Electric said it will launch an investigation. OSHA is also likely to investigate the matter. These investigations may identify an unsafe workplace was to blame for the lineman’s injuries.
Under Alabama law, a business like Cullman Electric isn’t required to pay workers’ compensation premiums for contractors. It must pay for workers’ compensation insurance for employees.
According to the APL Power Services website, it provides flame retardant-treated work clothing at no cost to employees. Workers’ tools and boots may be eligible for a payroll deduction program. It’s unclear if the company hires workers as employees or as per diem adjunct staff for clients.
If you are injured as a contractor and your employer doesn’t pay for workers’ comp and/or health and medical benefits, where should you go for help?
- When possible, document the accident as carefully as possible.
- In this example, the lineman would notify both Cullman Electric Cooperative and APL Power Services.
- Contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Don’t wait. The sooner you involve a personal injury attorney in your case, the sooner he can collect the details surrounding the case. He will interview witnesses, obtain incident reports, and so on.
An experienced and knowledgeable personal injury law firm can help you obtain financial resources for medical and hospital bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Contact the Alabama personal injury attorneys at the Liddon Law Firm for an initial case evaluation now.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney/client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.