What should I do if I suffer workplace injury?

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 3 million American’s are injured in the workplace every year. Although this number represents a steady decrease in nationwide workplace injuries, Texas still leads the nation in worker injuries and fatalities.

Since 2003, Texas has accounted for 1/3 of net new jobs in the United States. This influx of Texas jobs is substantially related to the high amount of workplace injuries.

Some of the leading causes of workplace injuries include: inadequate safety training, over worked employees, dangerous work sites, and under skilled workers. Many times, especially in booming industries like Texas, employers are rushed to find employees and often skip essential training steps, which lead to workplace injuries.

If an employee has been injured in a workplace injury, there are a few options they have to get compensation. Most commonly, larger Texas employers carry workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance allows any worker injured on the job to be compensated for their time and medical expenses. It also allows death benefits for families of workers who are killed on the job. In order to receive the benefits of workers’ compensation insurance, the employee must have been injured in the course and scope of their employment while on the job. Workers compensation is usually an injured workers only remedy for said injuries.

Texas is currently the only state that does not mandate that employers carry workers’ compensation insurance. If an employee has been injured on the job and their employer does not have workers’ compensation, it may be more difficult to receive compensation. The injured employee can file a direct lawsuit against an employer only where negligence can be shown.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a workplace accident please contact the experienced Houston Personal Injury Attorneys at Zar Law, PLLC at (713) 333-5533.