Our state’s economy depends on multiple industries, ranging from agricultural and construction to oil and gas and manufacturing. Unfortunately, with the hundreds of industrial companies that call Texas home, a significant number of industrial accidents injure or kill Texans every year. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more than 100 workers are killed every week in the United States. All Texans have the right to a safe work environment that minimizes the risk of injury or death.
Industrial accidents typically occur when an employer has been negligent in their duty to protect their workers. This may be from failing to provide a safe environment, encouraging shortcuts in work, not training workers properly, or failing to supervise workers. If you have been injured or a family member has been killed in an industrial accident in Texas, you are entitled to financial compensation. Our industrial accident lawyers are ready to fight for your rights as a worker in Texas.
Common Types of Industrial Accidents
Heavy Machinery Accidents
Most industries in Texas use some form of heavy machinery to complete their work. Tractors and forklifts are commonly used, as well as manufacturing machinery, oil rigs, drilling equipment, and more. Workers are often caught underneath tipped vehicles, have their limbs sucked into a machine, or are crushed between a machine and hard surface. The injuries workers receive from these workplace accidents are devastating and can cause permanent disability and disfigurement, if not death.
All employers are required by OSHA to properly train their employees on the safe use of all heavy machinery and equipment required to complete tasks on the jobsite. Employers are also required to maintain all equipment and ensure that it is running properly. If an employer fails to follow through with the appropriate protocols, they could be considered negligent and thus legally responsible when a worker is injured in an industrial accident.
Electrical Accidents
Many industrial professions include working with electrical hazards that can seriously injure or kill a worker while they are simply trying to complete a task. Adverse weather, improperly grounded equipment, overhead powerlines, and buried high voltage power lines all present risks to industrial workers. Electrocution can occur and is one of the leading causes of fatal construction accidents. Electrical shock can cause burns, internal organ damage, and death.
Exposure to Toxic Substances
When chemicals or other harmful substances are not properly contained or are released in an improper fashion, workers can be exposed and can be seriously injured or killed. Chemicals must also be properly labeled to allow for appropriate precautions when being handled. Transporting these chemicals could easily cause harm if the substance is not labeled properly. Disposal of these harmful substances can also expose workers to deadly toxins and seriously injure or kill an employee. Some chemicals must be disposed of in a timely manner or they could lead to a pressurized environment that causes an explosion.
Fires and Explosions
There are many ways an industrial fire or explosion can start – lightning strikes, equipment sparks, arson, chemical pressure build-up, and more. Flames can quickly come into contact with flammable substances, causing a massive explosion that can injure dozens of workers and even those living or working nearby. Serious injuries are almost always seen with industrial fires and explosions, including third degree burns, internal organ damage and bleeding, brain damage from the force of the explosion, respiratory issues, and death. These types of industrial accidents are often incredibly deadly as they occur rapidly and without warning.
Slips and Falls
Industrial work environments are full of slippery, uneven surfaces, scaffolding, machinery located and operated at great heights, and more. There are many safety protocols that must be put in place to protect workers from slips and falls. Signage, safety equipment, and training are all essential to preventing injuries and must be provided by employers to their workers. Injuries sustained from slips, trips, and falls in the workplace can range in severity from a scrape on the knee to a serious concussion, broken bones, paralysis, and even wrongful death.
Industrial Workplace Accident Lawyers
All Texas workers have the right to work and return home safely without being involved in an industrial accident. It’s an unfortunate reality that employers keep failing their employees by ignoring safety guidelines and state and federal laws designed to protect workers. If you are injured on the job in an industrial accident, you should contact an experienced workplace injury lawyer as soon as possible. Our industrial accident lawyers are ready to fight for you and your family. If you or a loved one was injured in an industrial accident in Texas, contact Corpus Christi attorney John Flood today. You generally only have two years from the date of the injury or death to file a lawsuit for compensation. Do not wait – call our office at (361) 654-8877 for a free initial case evaluation.
