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 (PSN) 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 (PSN) 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. <EOS>