Live plug sockets hidden beneath bath? Can I sue landlord for negligence?

In the house I was renting, I discovered that there was a live double mains plug socket hidden behind the bath panel.

One socket had the Saniflow unit plugged into it, the other socket had nothing plugged in.

Due to poor plumbing, the saniflow backfired and sprayed water everywhere - including under the bath - for a few hours, and could easily have reached into these plug sockets.

We could have been electrocuted and killed.

Can we sue the landlord for failing to ensure the house was safe?
No, though there may have been a code violation. You were unlikely to be injured if the system is grounded, or (as required by code) the bath recepticles were covered by a GFI device.

Older construction did not require GFI, so at the time they were installed, they may well have been within code.

Just be grateful no-one was hurt, and ask him to ensure GFIs are installed in any wet areas.
You should call the Electricity Board who will condemn the installation, forcing the landlord to act.
You'd first have to find out if the socket was GFI (Ground Fault interruption). If it is then you have no case and there was no danger. If it isn't then maybe but it would be a stretch and what kind of damages would you expect if no one was hurt.
Anybody can sue anyone for any reason, but in this case you have no actual damages for which you could recover, so it would be a waste of time. One thing that you can do is to request that a ground fault circuit interrupting socket be installed; these are required by code for all bathroom, kitchen, and garage installations in the US. The devices are inexpensive (in the US, about $12) and installation is simple; they provide excellent protection against electric shock.


Answer:
You can only win if you prove that the landlord knew about this danger and did nothing or should have known about it.
Not unless you are first electrocuted. You can't sue for what 'could have' happened.