Lawyer for a Vehicle Accident at Work

Our Work Vehicle Accident Lawyers Help Win Compensation

Work-related vehicle crashes cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of serious injuries every year. Any vehicle accident can cause injuries that are painful, traumatic, and costly, and a work-related crash can have devastating consequences. You might be unable to do your job for a long period due to your injuries. Your mode of transportation could be totaled, and any equipment or items in your vehicle might be lost, too. You may be facing mounting bills at a time you are unable to work and lose your source of income. That’s why it is important to consider all your legal options.

If you were injured in a work-related vehicle crash, you may be entitled to compensation through workers’ compensation or a personal injury lawsuit or both, depending on the circumstances. Workers’ compensation insurance is designed to limit the financial fallout from workplace accidents, but it is often not enough to cover all losses. In addition, Texas laws regarding workers’ compensation and personal injury are complicated, and employers and their insurance companies have high powered lawyers on their side working to deny benefits or get you to accept less than you deserve. It’s tough to go against them on your own, especially at a time you are trying to recover from your injuries.

Fortunately, there is help available from the experienced vehicle injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law, who can keep you from making costly mistakes and help you get the benefits you are entitled to. We represent clients in workplace injury cases, and we have the experience to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. These cases can be more complicated than a standalone injury or auto wreck case because they might involve legal action against an employer, a third party, or both.

If you are covered under worker’ comp, we can ensure that everything is filed correctly and that you receive the benefits you deserve, and we can appeal your case if it is denied. If workers’ comp is not available to you or there are situations where you may qualify to go beyond it, we will pursue maximum compensation for you in a personal injury lawsuit.

We provide a free, no-obligation consultation to examine the facts of your individual work vehicle accident and show you how we can help. Call us today to get started at (713) 973-8888.

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Compensation for Vehicle Injuries at Work

Work-related vehicle accidents can happen at a worksite or while driving a vehicle on company business. They can happen when driving company vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks, and buses that are owned and operated by a company to carry work equipment, haul goods, make deliveries, or transport passengers. They can happen when traveling on company business.

If your vehicle accident is work-related and your employer participates in workers’ compensation, you may be entitled to benefits provided under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act.

These may include:

• Medical benefits to cover medical and rehabilitation costs.
• Income benefits to cover some of your lost income, which may include temporary income benefits, impairment income benefits, supplemental income benefits, and lifetime income benefits
• Death and burial benefits  if the accident resulted in death.

However, workers’ compensation does not pay for all your wage losses or for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. Texas does not require employers to carry workers’ comp; if your employer does not participate, if you are classified as an independent contractor instead of as an employee, or if your accident was caused by a third party such as another driver, you may be able to bring a lawsuit for more than what workers’ compensation provides.

Hurt in a Vehicle Accident at Work Lawsuit

Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to file a lawsuit instead of or in addition to a workers’ compensation claim.  To win your lawsuit, our vehicle injury attorneys would have to show that another party, the defendant in the case, was negligent and at fault for causing the vehicle accident and the damages you received. This means showing the following legal elements:

• Duty: The defendant had a duty not to cause harm.
• Breach: The defendant breached this duty by actions or failure to act.
• Causation: This caused the accident that injured you.
• Damages: You suffered damages as a result.

An example would be if an inebriated forklift driver or other heavy equipment driver drove recklessly and ran into a vehicle you were driving and caused your injuries. In this case, the driver and the employer might both be held liable.

After an accident, our attorneys would look to identify all potentially liable parties, as they all may have assets and insurance that could go toward a settlement.

Compensation from Vehicle Injuries at Work Lawsuits

In a successful Texas lawsuit, you may receive compensation that should cover both your economic monetary losses and non-economic damages as follows:

1. Economic (Special) Damages cover the cost of your bills for medical care, lost income, continuing care, modifications to your home, and other calculable expenses.

2. Non-economic (General) Damages compensate for losses that do not have a specific dollar value but negatively affect your life, such as physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life.

3. Punitive damages may also be awarded in rare situations where the injury was caused by actions that were wantonly reckless and negligent.

Damage Amounts You May Receive

There are a wide range of damage awards possible in a personal injury lawsuit, depending on the circumstances of the case. Factors that are considered include:

• the severity of your injuries and whether you will need continuing care
• the costs of your damages
• the amounts of lost income and whether you will be able to return to work
• the availability of insurance and assets of the defendants
• the individual judge, jury and jurisdiction if a trial takes place
• the skill and negotiating ability of your attorney to handle your case.

In general, the more severe and permanent the injuries, the greater the value of the case. For example, a minor injury that heals in a few months may be worth several thousand dollars. A permanently disabling and painful injury that results in paralysis or a wrongful death could bring hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in compensation.

Our Terry Bryant vehicle attorneys will evaluate your case and determine what it may be worth, and do everything possible to fight for optimum compensation.

On-the-Job Vehicle Accidents

Workers whose job requires frequent travel are more likely to experience a work-related vehicle crash. That includes:

• Commercial Vehicle Drivers – Truck drivers spend most of their working hours behind the wheel of heavy trucks, but professional drivers are often not given the protection and insurance coverage they should have.
• Delivery Drivers/Postal Carriers – Delivery drivers and postal carriers drive many miles every day, in addition to parking in locations where they might be vulnerable to collisions.
• Nurses/Aides – Traveling healthcare workers sometimes drive to remote locations to provide care to patients and face the risk of being involved in a crash. While some home healthcare workers are employed and insured by their employer, others are considered independent contractors and might believe they need to bear the costs of a crash alone.
• Other Travel Jobs – There are many other occupations that require extensive travel, from regional sales managers to rideshare drivers. No matter what your job or classification (employer, contractor, etc.), you should not have to pay the costs of an injury that wasn’t your fault.

Call Our Vehicle Accident at Work Attorneys for Help

If you are on the clock while you are injured, you deserve compensation. The legal team at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law can help you stand up to your employer to make sure they give you the benefits you deserve from a workplace injury and to third parties who may have contributed to your accident. We have the resources and experience needed to hold at-fault parties accountable, and we are proud of the work we do on behalf of injured workers.

Whether you are covered by workers’ compensation insurance or can file a personal injury lawsuit, we will fight to get you the payment you deserve. We will investigate the cause of your crash and determine the best path forward to earning fair compensation.

Texas has a statute of limitations, a deadline for filing a case. According to the law (Texas CPRC Title 2, Chapter 16, Sec. 16.003), you generally have two years after the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in court or the courts are likely to dismiss your case, so call us as soon as possible. (*Always speak directly to an attorney for the exact deadlines that apply to your potential claim(s).) We want to start investigating your case promptly, while evidence is fresh and witnesses can be found and we have time to build your case.

Our work injury attorneys have a track record of standing up for injured workers in Texas to ensure they get maximum compensation. We cater our services to meet your specific, individual needs and are here for you 24/7. With our no-fee guarantee, you pay nothing unless and until we win compensation for you, so you have nothing to lose.

Terry Bryant is Board Certified in personal injury trial law in Texas (by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization), and he is a former judge. He has the experience necessary to help clients in all areas of personal injury law. If you or a loved one has suffered a workplace vehicle accident in Texas call Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law today at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000.

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