A load protection apparatus for protecting an electrical load connected to an output terminal of the load protection apparatus against overcurrent, said apparatus comprising: an overcurrent protection circuit having at least one input terminal adapted to receive a supply voltage from a power supply network and having a power switch through which the electrical load receives an electrical load current (I L) via the output terminal and having a current rise speed sensor component connected in series with the power switch and adapted to generate directly a voltage drop (ΔU 4) corresponding to the current rise speed of the electrical load current (I L) flowing from the input terminal of the load control apparatus via the current rise speed sensor component and the power switch to the output terminal and having a driver circuit which is adapted to detect an occurring overcurrent depending on the voltage drop (ΔU 4) generated by the current rise speed sensor component and depending on a voltage drop (ΔU 5) along the power switch and which is adapted to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent within a predefined switch-off period, wherein the driver circuit is arranged to operate independently from a control unit of said load protection apparatus to provide protection against an overcurrent by switching off the power switch if the generated voltage drop (ΔU 4) plus a voltage drop (ΔU 5) along the power switch applied to a drive input (DESAT) of the driver circuit as a sum voltage (U Σ) exceeds a configurable threshold voltage (U TH), said apparatus further comprising: an overload protection circuit having a load current sensor component adapted to measure continuously the load current (I L) flowing to the output terminal notified to the control unit of the load protection apparatus adapted to determine an overload state and a type of the connected electrical load on the basis of the measured load current profile, wherein the type of the electrical load comprises a resistive, inductive or capacitive load type. an overcurrent protection circuit having at least one input terminal adapted to receive a supply voltage from a power supply network and having a power switch through which the electrical load receives an electrical load current (I L) via the output terminal and having a current rise speed sensor component connected in series with the power switch and adapted to generate directly a voltage drop (ΔU 4) corresponding to the current rise speed of the electrical load current (I L) flowing from the input terminal of the load control apparatus via the current rise speed sensor component and the power switch to the output terminal and having a driver circuit which is adapted to detect an occurring overcurrent depending on the voltage drop (ΔU 4) generated by the current rise speed sensor component and depending on a voltage drop (ΔU 5) along the power switch and which is adapted to switch off said power switch upon detection of an overcurrent within a predefined switch-off period, wherein the driver circuit is arranged to operate independently from a control unit of said load protection apparatus to provide protection against an overcurrent by switching off the power switch if the generated voltage drop (ΔU 4) plus a voltage drop (ΔU 5) along the power switch applied to a drive input (DESAT) of the driver circuit as a sum voltage (U Σ) exceeds a configurable threshold voltage (U TH), said apparatus further comprising: an overload protection circuit having a load current sensor component adapted to measure continuously the load current (I L) flowing to the output terminal notified to the control unit of the load protection apparatus adapted to determine an overload state and a type of the connected electrical load on the basis of the measured load current profile, wherein the type of the electrical load comprises a resistive, inductive or capacitive load type.