Utility companies and providers offer a range of services to communities essential for everyday life. While the public needs utilities, they can also be dangerous and present many risks of suffering harm to the workers who maintain them and the public.
You could be eligible for compensation for your damages when you are in a utility incident. Call a hardworking Auburn utility accident lawyer to review your case and recovery options. Our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys are here to answer your questions and guide you through the claims process.
What Services Do Utility Companies Offer?
Utility companies provide the crucial resources everyone needs. Services include electricity, heat, gas, and oil, telephone service, road repair, trash removal, and waste management.
Federal, state, and local government agencies strictly regulate the companies because of the significant risk of harm, ensuring they maintain reasonable pricing and follow strict safety guidelines. Some of the typical utility accident causes include:
- Electric shock from low-hanging electrical wires
- Fires and explosions
- Punctured gas lines
- Utility vehicle accidents
An Auburn attorney could investigate the utility accident to find the cause and help build a claim for damages. Potential damage recovery in the claim could include the injured person’s total cost of medical care, lost salary, emotional distress, or pain and suffering.
Utility Truck Accidents
Utility trucks are often large vans or pickup trucks with modifications. These vehicles are necessary for completing services jobs or repairs but can also present many hazards when drivers are careless or lack adequate operation training. Some examples of utility vehicles include:
- Street sweepers
- Snowplows
- Garbage trucks
- Cable company trucks
- Heating, air conditioning, and plumbing trucks
- Telephone company trucks
Utility vehicles are often smaller than massive semi-trucks but much larger than regular passenger vehicles, meaning crashes can be severe or fatal.
The Statute of Limitations for Lawsuits Involving Government Agencies
The Maine Tort Claims Act MTCA provides government agencies immunity from a wide range of lawsuits; however, under Maine Revised Statutes §8104-A, the entities are liable for bodily harm or property damage involving maintenance and ownership of utilities or service vehicles. The civil court could find them liable for damages when accidents involve negligent actions, omission, or failure to avoid them.
It is essential to understand the differences in the civil court process to recover damages for accidents involving the government. When a state or local government owns the utility company, there are varying timelines to be aware of when filing a claim for damages. Rather than the six-year deadline for cases against the general public, the petitioner has 180 days to file a lawsuit against federal, state, and local government organizations.
Not only are there differences in the statutes, but the agencies also have insurance providers and lawyers in their corner, ready to advocate on their behalf. Speaking directly with them, they lose the ability to recover damages as they often use the injured party’s statements against them. An experienced legal professional could handle the communications and advocate for the plaintiff. A utility accident lawyer in Auburn could handle communications and legal work and ensure court filings comply with the regulations.
Call a Knowledgeable Utility Accident Attorney in Auburn
When you suffer injuries in a utility accident, you can recover compensation after a utility accident. However, the cases are complex, especially when the organization is state or local government-operated.
A hardworking and experienced Auburn utility accident lawyer could handle communications, negotiation, legal work, and litigation on your behalf. Call today to schedule a consultation and meet immediately if you need help with a case.
