Florida Man Electrocuted Doing Work on Boat Dock for HGTV Dream Home Giveaway

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 9, 2015

Authorities say a man was electrocuted while working on a boat dock at the site of the 2016 HGTV Dream Home giveaway in central Florida last week. The man has been identified as James Sands, 37, of Melbourne, FL. He fell off the dock and into the Indian River Lagoon after receiving a powerful shock from the electrical equipment he was using to improve the boat dock.

Brevard County Fire Rescue reports that paramedics responded to the Merritt Island home, about 55 miles southeast of Orlando, and pulled the unresponsive man out of Indian River Lagoon. The fire rescue crews worked to resuscitate Sands while transporting him to Cape Canaveral Hospital, but he was pronounced dead by a doctor upon arrival. The sheriff’s office was investigating the death as an accident. Florida Today reported that the home was being renovated as part of HGTV’s 20th annual design project and remodeling effort. A national contest later this year will determine who will win the home, although many may think twice about entering the contest after such a tragic accident.

While this unfortunate accident may seem like an unlikely fatality, electrocution and other construction accidents are not uncommon. According to the United States Department of Labor, out of the 4,251 worker fatalities in private industry in 2014, 874 (or 20.5%) were in construction – that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction, with electrocution being the second largest cause of fatality in the industry behind falls. Of course, this statistic doesn’t include construction workers who were injured on the job, a percentage that is much higher. Many times, injuries from electrocution can be debilitating, even if the worker survives. It could result in a severe spinal injury that means they never walk again, or a brain injury that takes away their ability to function on their own.

While electrocution is among one of the most common forms of fatalities and injuries among construction workers, it is only one of many ways a construction worker can be injured or killed while on the job. If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, you could be entitled to compensation not only for medical treatment, but also for medications, recovery time, physical therapy, trauma, emotional distress, lost wages, and more. Unfortunately, construction companies usually work closely with insurance companies, and you could struggle to achieve the compensation you both need and deserve. An attorney with experience battling insurance companies and fighting for the rights of construction accident victims can help. If you have a claim, contact us at the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) today to learn how you can get compensated for your injuries, recovery, and loss.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.