Workplace Negligence Lawyer

Houston, Texas, is the fourth-most populated city in the United States and is on the rise. Houston is home to roughly 6.7 million people who are employed in various fields, from the more typical oil and gas energy industry to hospitality, healthcare, trade, retail, manufacturing, and more.

Hundreds of Texans tragically die yearly from work-related fatalities, and thousands more sustain significant injuries. In terms of deaths and catastrophic injuries suffered on the job, Houston and the state as a whole rank first.

Our attorneys at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law share your sorrow over the many industrial accidents and injuries that have occurred in Houston — especially given that many of these incidents could have been prevented if only management and contractors had taken the necessary precautions and safety procedures.

As a law firm that focuses on personal injury and wrongful death claims, we are called in after a terrible incident has already occurred. While it’s too late to stop the tragedy that has already happened, we can help ensure that similar incidents don’t happen in the future by holding negligent employers and third parties accountable and improving the practices of other companies.

We advocate on behalf of our clients to secure the medical attention and financial compensation they require following a work-related injury.

Why Choose Us

When dealing with a matter involving negligence, using a competent lawyer who knows the law and your specific situation is essential. Every employee deserves to feel secure in their workplace, and at Terry Byant Accident & Injury Law, we prioritize that. All workers’ rights must be upheld, whether employed in the service industry, the retail sector, a warehouse, or a building site.

You are entitled to legal representation if your employer violates this standard of care. Be sure to contact a work injury lawyer, as the statute of limitations in Texas is two years from the date of the injury. An unexpected workplace injury can severely affect a person’s mental, emotional, and financial health. We’re here to assist in putting the puzzle back together.

Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law is staffed by caring, seasoned attorneys who will defend your right to financial compensation if you were injured due to someone else’s negligence.  To better understand your rights under workers’ compensation insurance and, if required, to represent you in a negligence action, you can rely on the expertise of our legal team.

Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law has a long list of satisfied clients. Offering sympathetic and perceptive service to our clientele, we make every effort to put our customers at ease and answer their questions before, during, and after the process.

Take a look at some case results below:

• $2.3 million: Pipe yard workplace incident. The plaintiff broke her pelvis and hurt her groin.
• $2.3 million: The truck driver shattered his pelvis when a heavy pipe that had been unloaded from the trailer rolled over him.
• $2.06 million: The explosion at the refinery caused severe injuries to the plaintiff, who required surgery on his shoulder, arm, and neck.
• $1.81 million: A worker at a repair shop was killed when a tire exploded.
• $1.72 million: In this case, an explosion in a refinery led to the plaintiff’s needing back surgery.
• $1.32 million: A dock worker lost his life in a tragic maritime accident.

Contact the negligence attorneys at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law by calling at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000 if you were hurt on the job and thought it was your employer’s fault. When you come to us, you aren’t just a file number. Give our legal staff a chance to prove themselves helpful. Get in touch now for a free review of your case.

Different Kinds of Negligence in Negligence Cases

Workplace negligence cases are difficult to launch against an employer, as state compensation programs typically eliminate an employee’s ability to file such claims. In general, when a company hires a person, they sign away their right to file a lawsuit in return for guaranteed compensation for medical expenses and lost wages.

However, this compensation is often lacking if a person has suffered long-term injuries, and such compensation doesn’t even cover pain or suffering. That’s why victims are encouraged to review all of their legal options when hurt, as a legal claim may be the only way to pay for severe injuries.

Gross Negligence

This is an instance of when someone doesn’t care much or at all about the safety of other people, to the point where their careless actions look like they were done on purpose. Driving without paying attention would be an example of gross negligence. Gross negligence can sometimes cause a worker to get hurt badly or even die because of it.

Comparative Negligence

Comparative negligence is when the person who got hurt is partly to blame for what happened to them. In this situation, both the employer and the worker are partially responsible. For instance, if a worker slips and falls on a wet floor where there are no warning signs and hits their head, but the worker isn’t wearing the required hard hat, they are also accountable for that head trauma because they didn’t follow safety rules. If there are losses to be recouped, they might be partially compensated.

Vicarious Liability

When an employer has secondary liability for the activities of their staff, if an employer’s intentional or egregious misconduct were responsible for an accident, the employer would need to compensate the victim. For example, a construction laborer must fix a stretch of scaffolding up high. Still, the employer refuses to provide the laborer with fall protection, even though the scaffolding condition is poor. Such gross misconduct may expose the employer to liability. Your attorney can evaluate the specifics of your case and determine which of the forms of carelessness is applicable.

An employer may opt out of the state compensation program in Texas. While most companies still choose to participate, the number of opt-outs is increasing. If someone is hurt on the job and their employer has opted out, the victim can sue the employer directly for damages. This means that a victim will have to prove the employer’s wrongdoing, but it also means that a victim can secure a higher settlement, as there is no cap on damages.

These claims are complex affairs and should be managed by an attorney experienced in taking on powerful institutions. This will ensure the victim’s rights are protected as the claim is handled.

What Kinds of Workplace Environments are Considered Unsafe?

As experienced attorneys in workplace injury cases, we realize that situations that endanger employees’ health and safety can make it impossible for them to accomplish their duties properly.

When a company disregards safety regulations, they are not equipping their employees with a secure workplace and are increasing the risk of accidents’ occurring on the job.

Conditions such as these may be among the most common causes of accidents on the job:

• Blocked or closed emergency exits
• Close quarters
• Dangers posed by electricity, including worn-out cords, missing ground pins, and sloppy wiring
• Inadequately maintained or faulty apparatus
• Free-falling objects
• Lack of required PPE, such as earplugs, safety glasses, fire-resistant clothes, and harnesses
• Inadequate safeguards
• Harmful substances that can damage or kill workers
• Failure, insufficiency, or absence of warning mechanisms
• Cords lying around or obstructed aisles
• Unclean workplace, leading to illness or disease
• Wet floors/areas/terrains.

Our clients are affected when employers violate their duty to provide a safe workplace by failing to address recognized hazards.

Our workplace injury attorneys may assist you in developing your case by investigating the specifics of your accident and submitting a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim, depending on the facts and the responsible party.

Call Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law at (713) 973-8888 to speak with an experienced attorney about your rights after suffering an injury or losing a loved one in a workplace accident.

Top 5 Causes of Workplace Accidents

1. Accidents Involving Slipping and Falling

The majority of serious injuries that occur on construction sites are the result of slips and falls. Despite appearances to the contrary, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, and dislocated joints are just a few of the potentially fatal outcomes of slip and fall accidents.

Employees are more likely to be injured in slips and falls when a business or building owner disregards safety procedures. Mistakes such as not placing “wet floor” signs or other warning signs and neglecting property maintenance are examples of such negligence. Damages may be recoverable from the corporation if an employee gets hurt because of a mistake.

2. Incidents at Construction Sites

Construction sites are more hazardous than other workplaces because they contain potentially lethal gear and equipment. As lawyers for injured workers, we’ve seen firsthand how common it is for accidents to happen on construction sites because of careless management.

Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law typically deals with the following sorts of construction accidents:

• Mishandling or neglect of machinery
• Accidents involving cranes or lifts occur for other reasons due to a lack of training.

3. Transport

Transportation accidents were Texas’ third most significant cause of fatal and severe workplace injuries in 2019. It is the responsibility of those whose jobs are to drive vehicles transporting commodities or products to ensure that all necessary safety measures are taken.

Infrequent but typical cases of driver carelessness include:

• Accidents caused by drivers who were drunk or careless
• Not using necessary safety equipment, such as a seatbelt.

However, the safety of the driver and other workers depends on the employer’s or manufacturer’s provision of adequate training and up-to-date maintenance of the vehicles in operation.

4. Physical Contact with Machinery or Other Objects

Large, heavy gear and other objects and equipment are commonplace on construction and industrial job sites, and they pose risks if basic safety and upkeep procedures are ignored.

Here are some potentially hazardous worksite encounters involving employees and various pieces of machinery or other objects:

• An employee is injured when hit by a moving object.
• A worker is injured from objects or machinery falling on them.
• Some part of the worker’s body is pinched, squeezed, compressed, or crushed, most commonly the hand.

5. A Lack of Adequate Training

In order to guarantee the safety of all employees, it is crucial to provide them with the appropriate training. Every business in the state of Texas is required by law to ensure that their workers are qualified for the positions for which they hire them. Lack of sufficient training can lead to several problems, including catastrophic injuries.

What Can I Do About the Unsafe Conditions at My Workplace?

Safety violations in the workplace must be reported to the employer and subsequently to state and federal safety authorities like OSHA in the case of manufacturing, construction, and warehousing operations.

A common injury claim involves a manufacturer or designer of defective industrial equipment. If a manufacturer sells a piece of equipment to a company, knowing that the equipment could be unsafe in some applications, they may face liability if someone is hurt. In general, the injured employee must have used the equipment properly at the time of the accident. For example, an employee arranges metal sheets under a punch machine for cutting. The worker lets their foot off the operating pedal so they can safely place their hand under the punch. However, the pedal sticks, and the punch slams into their hand, breaking several fingers. The victim may be able to bring a defective product claim against the manufacturer as a result.

Employees who are harmed by a hazardous substance, like asbestos or silica, may be able to bring a claim against the manufacturer of the substance.

Also, if the victim was using safety equipment at the time and the equipment failed to do its job, the victim can bring a claim against them.

Consequently, if there has been a violation of safety regulations, your company could face fines or even closure if the risks to employees are too significant to resolve immediately.

If you work in an office or other professional setting, the safety conditions there may differ from those in a factory. Clients can be seriously injured by things like torn rugs, faulty wiring, and broken escalators, keeping them out of action for weeks or months.

The operator, the building’s owner, or the operator’s management firm should be notified of these risks.

How Do I Handle an Injury on the Job?

In the event of a work-related injury, stay calm and dial 911 immediately. After seeking medical attention for your injuries, keep any photos, recordings, or witness statements that could indicate liability in the future. If you’ve been hurt, you should seek the counsel of a seasoned attorney who can assist you in pursuing workers’ compensation.

If I am Injured on the Job in Texas, What Workers’ Compensation Options do I Have?

Employers in Texas are not required to have workers’ compensation insurance. When an employer purchases workers’ compensation insurance, Texas law governs the maximum benefit and the kind of benefits that can be paid out to an injured worker.

The expert lawyers at our firm can sue the company in a personal injury case for the total amount of their client’s damages if they choose to forgo workers’ compensation insurance.

Your case will be laid out by our experienced personal injury lawyers and workers’ compensation lawyers to ensure that we pursue the appropriate insurance coverage for your medical bills, lost income, and other injury-related costs.

Get In Touch with Our Houston, TX, Work Injury Attorneys Today

If you or a family member has been wounded on the job. We’ll help you understand your legal rights and alternatives so you may pursue the most favorable financial settlement for your situation.

Get in touch with the Houston personal injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000 right away if you or someone you know has been in a workplace accident in Texas. We offer  free consultations where you can explain the circumstances of your accident, and we’ll explain how we can help investigate your case.