There are four types of electrical injuries: flash, flame, lightning, and true. In flash injuries, the current doesn’t go past the skin, so it typically causes superficial burns, whereas flame injuries cause the victim’s clothes to catch fire, which can result in severe burns. It’s also possible for the electrical current to pass through the skin and enter the body in flame injuries.

Lightning electrical injuries involve a high voltage of energy that flows through the entire body for a very short period of time and may cause both internal and external organ damage. Finally, true electrical injuries are when the victim becomes part of an electrical circuit. The seriousness of injuries depends on the voltage, path the current takes through the body, duration of the connection, and level of current.