Electrocution Generations of Trusted Advocacy

Electrocution Attorney in Terrebonne Parish

Representing Gulf Coast Workers & Families Since 1971

Electrical accidents strike without warning and leave injuries that can change a life permanently. When they happen here, defendants move fast. At Waitz & Downer, we’ve represented injured workers and families across South Louisiana since 1971, including those hurt in the oilfields, offshore platforms, refineries, shipyards, and construction sites that define our region’s economy. We know the worksites, the industries, and the legal landscape that shapes every claim.

Our attorneys carry over 100 years of combined legal experience. Consultations are free, confidential, and come with no obligation. We don’t collect attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

If you or a family member has been hurt in an electrical accident in the Terrebonne Parish area, call us at (985) 331-7832 to speak with an attorney at no cost.

Where Electrical Accidents Happen in South Louisiana

Terrebonne Parish sits at the center of one of the most electrically hazardous work environments in the country. High-voltage systems, heavy machinery, and wet offshore conditions combine to create elevated risk for workers across several industries. Our attorneys have handled injury cases arising from these same settings throughout South Louisiana.

Industries and settings where electrical accidents commonly occur:

Oil and gas fields — high-voltage drilling equipment, pump jacks, and generator systems
Offshore platforms — electrical systems exposed to salt air, moisture, and heavy marine conditions
Plants and refineries — complex electrical infrastructure with maintenance demands that create lockout/tagout risks
Shipyards and marine construction — confined spaces and water proximity increase hazard severity
Commercial and residential construction sites — overhead power line contact and unprotected temporary wiring

Accidents in these settings often trace back to failure to follow lockout/tagout procedures before maintenance begins, contact with uninsulated or faulty wiring, defective tools and equipment, overhead power line contact, or assigning electrical tasks to workers without adequate training. OSHA regulations and the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) set minimum safety requirements for employers and utility companies. When those standards are ignored, the consequences can be severe.

Not every electrical injury happens at work. Property owners, landlords, and product manufacturers can also bear responsibility when faulty wiring, defective electrical products, or poorly maintained infrastructure causes harm.

I would recommend them to anyone needing a personal injury attorney.
“Waitz and Downer has handled legal affairs for my family for years. My daughter was involved in a head on collision with a drunk driver. The insurance company did not want to pay for my daughter to purchase a new car, hers was totaled. Waitz and Downer handled the matter very professionally and things were settled very quickly.”

- Lie Ann M.
Mary W. Riviere and her team are outstanding!
“Mary is sharp, professional, and friendly. She strives to meets the needs of her clients, and she truly invest in them and their cases. She is easily assessable, and she is exceptionally honest and trustworthy. She is an excellent attorney, and I highly recommend her!
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- Dana P.
This firm is exceedingly generous to its clients and the community at large.
“Excellent law firm. Attorney Hunt Downer is a very down to earth guy who likes to keep it simple.”

- Joseph G.

Legal Options After an Electrical Accident in Louisiana

Electrocution cases in Louisiana often involve more than one legal path. An injured worker may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate third-party personal injury claim if a contractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, or utility company contributed to the accident. Workers’ compensation covers medical costs and a portion of lost wages, but it doesn’t compensate for pain and suffering or the full extent of future losses. A third-party personal injury claim can pursue those additional damages.

Identifying every responsible party is one of the most consequential steps in an electrical injury case. Defendants can include employers, subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, property owners, and utility companies. Under Louisiana’s comparative fault rule (Civil Code Art. 2323), an injured person can recover damages even if they were partially at fault, with the award reduced in proportion to their share of responsibility.

How We Build Electrical Injury Cases

Employers and utility companies typically send investigators to accident scenes quickly. Having our attorneys involved early can help protect your ability to gather and preserve the evidence that matters most to your claim.

Our approach to electrical injury cases:

Evaluate which legal claims apply, including workers’ compensation, personal injury, and wrongful death actions
Work with safety professionals, engineers, and medical professionals to develop evidence-backed claims
Handle all communications with insurance companies, employers, and other involved parties
Pursue compensation that accounts for future medical needs, lost earning capacity, and non-economic harm
Take cases to trial when settlement offers don’t reflect the value of our client’s losses

Louisiana Filing Deadlines for Electrical Injury Claims

Louisiana updated its personal injury filing deadline effective July 1, 2024. For electrical injuries occurring on or after that date, the prescriptive period is two years from the date of injury under La. Civ. Code Art. 3493.1. For injuries that occurred before July 1, 2024, the prior one-year prescriptive period still applies.

Wrongful death claims follow a separate timeline. Under La. Civ. Code Art. 2315.2, surviving family members must file within one year from the date of death, or two years from the date of the injury that caused the death, whichever is later. Workers’ compensation carries its own deadlines independent of the personal injury window, so injured workers should speak with an attorney promptly to protect rights under both systems.

Even with a two-year window, waiting works against you. Evidence from the accident scene can be lost or altered. Witness recollections fade. Meanwhile, the opposing side begins building its defense immediately. Louisiana’s discovery rule may extend the prescriptive period when symptoms such as delayed neurological effects from an electrical accident aren’t immediately apparent, but that’s a case-specific determination, not something to count on without legal guidance.

Over Five Decades of Legal Practice Protecting Families for Generations

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Strength with Heart

Big-firm results, small-town heart—we treat every client like one of our own.
We Stand Firm

From oilfields to open waters, we fight for the injured and the families left behind.
One Shared Mission
Three generations strong, our family’s legacy is protecting yours when tragedy strikes.
Rooted in the Gulf Coast

Born from the region we serve, we stand with our neighbors through every storm and every fight for justice.

A South Louisiana Firm That Knows This Region’s Industries

Founded by Joseph L. Waitz in 1971 and carried forward by three generations of his family alongside Hunt Downer, former Louisiana Speaker of the House, Waitz & Downer has stood with Gulf Coast workers and families through some of the region’s most difficult times. Our attorneys grew up and live in the communities we serve throughout Terrebonne Parish and the surrounding Gulf Coast. We approach electrical injury cases not as outside observers, but as neighbors who understand what’s at stake.

Over 100 years of combined legal experience across our team covers the industries, courts, and insurance systems that shape serious injury claims in South Louisiana. We provide every client with personalized attention, direct communication, and consistent updates from start to finish. You won’t be passed to a paralegal and left wondering where things stand.

Talk to an Electrical Accident Lawyer in Terrebonne Parish Today

If you or someone in your family has been hurt in an electrocution or electrical accident, don’t wait to understand your options. Waitz & Downer offers free, confidential consultations with no obligation. We serve clients throughout Terrebonne Parish, Lafourche Parish, Assumption Parish, St. Mary Parish, and the broader South Louisiana Gulf Coast. There are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Call (985) 331-7832 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your free consultation with Waitz & Downer.

fighting for the injured

With Generations of Strength

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