What Are the Most Frequent Injuries? Can an Attorney Help You Recover Damages other than Workers’ Compensation?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, employers report, on average, nearly 3 million workplace injuries every year. That’s more than 7,500 every single day. In most states, employers are required to have a certain amount of workers’ compensation insurance coverage to provide the necessary benefits when a worker is hurt on the job. Texas allows employers to opt out of the workers’ compensation system, though a majority…about ¾ of all companies…do subscribe to the Texas workers’ compensation system. But are there other remedies when you have been injured on the job? What are the most common injuries suffered in the workplace and how can an experienced Texas work injury lawyer help you get damages in a civil lawsuit after a work accident?
What Are the Most Common Workplace Injuries?
The National Safety Council routinely gathers data on accident and injury in the workplace. Data collected in 2020 found that the most frequent causes of injury on the job included:
- Slips, trips and falls—Whether it’s a construction site, a warehouse or a retail establishment, there can frequently be boxes, tools, merchandise or other materials on the floor or otherwise impeding a worker’s pathway. Slips and falls are also caused by wet or slippery surfaces, as well as damaged or broken flooring, steps, walkways or other thoroughfares.
- Job-related motor vehicle accidents—This may involve an onsite collision or an accident while traveling for work
- The breakdown or malfunction of tools, machinery or equipment—Presses, molds, cranes, lifts, power hand tools, hi-lo vehicles and other equipment can put workers at significant risk
- Electrical injury, including electrocution—Though construction and maintenance workers are at highest risk, there are literally thousands of injuries in the workplace every year involving exposure to live current
- Explosions or fires—These types of injuries can affect kitchen workers, industrial employees, oil and gas rig workers, electricians and firefighters. In addition to burns, workers can be at risk of injury from chemical exposure or flying debris.
- Hearing and vision loss—Many jobs involve almost nonstop exposure to high decibel noise, as well as dust, grit and debris that can damage your eyes
How Can an Attorney Help You Get Benefits Other than Work Comp after a Job-Related Injury?
Workers’ compensation benefits are intended to be the exclusive remedy for injuries caused by eh negligence of an employer or a co-worker. If your injuries were the result of any type of carelessness by an unrelated third party, you can file a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages. A knowledgeable attorney will be able to evaluate your case, looking carefully at the facts and circumstances, and determine whether you have any type of claim against a third party. If you do, you can file a personal injury lawsuit simultaneously with your workers’ compensation claim. One caveat, though—you cannot recover for the same losses in both proceedings.
Contact the Experienced WorkplaceAccident Attorneys at Bailey & Galyen
At the law offices of Bailey & Galyen, we have more than four decades of experience successfully representing victims of personal injury in Texas, including people who have been injured on the job. We have a comprehensive understanding of the workplace injury laws in Texas, and know when you can seek damages in a civil lawsuit for a work-related injury. We are seasoned trial lawyers who can anticipate the tactics of defense counsel and take preemptive measures to help you pursue full and fair compensation for all your losses. Contact us by e-mail or 844-402-2992 call our offices at one of the convenient locations listed below. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
