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Workplace Accident

What to Do After a Texas Workplace Accident

September 8, 2015/in Personal Injury /by damg

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 4,400 workers nationwide lose their lives in the course of doing their jobs every year. Worse, Texas currently leads the entire nation in the number of workplace injuries and fatalities, even though nearly all of those fatalities could have been prevented. Some jobs, such as those requiring difficult or repetitive movements, can lead to a workplace injury, but too often, workplace injuries occur due to an unsafe work environment, including working conditions that start out bad and get worse over time, often because an employer has decided to place company profits ahead of worker safety.

Technically speaking, any employee who suffers a job-related injury is entitled to workers’ compensation insurance or some other employer-paid funding to provide them with necessary medical care and benefits to cover most of their pay during the time they are injured or sick and unable to work. Even though workers’ compensation insurance benefits should help injured workers recover, that system often prohibits a lawsuit against the employer by the injured employee.

If You Are Injured In The Workplace, You Should Take The Following Steps:

  • First of all, you must report the injury to a supervisor or your boss, being as specific as possible about the injury and how it occurred. That has to be done as soon as possible in order to comply with all of the regulations surrounding a workers’ comp claim.
  • See a doctor as soon as possible, so that your medical condition can be properly assessed and evaluated from the beginning. Don’t wait to see a doctor; waiting can have a negative effect on making your case for recovery later. You should also get every bit of information possible about your injury, with as much specificity as you can.
  • Keep track of all of your insurance information, including workers’ compensation, personal health insurance and any other type of insurance that may apply.
  • Document everything, no matter how small. Establishing a paper trail is a very important part of the process.
  • Do not speak to anyone about your injury and do not sign anything without speaking to a workplace injury attorney first, which means means consulting with an attorney as soon as possible after the injury.

Even though Texas workers are entitled to sufficient workers’ compensation benefits under state law, not all companies have this insurance or have the worker’s best interests in mind. Keep in mind that the workers comp carrier represents your employer and may attempt to cut costs, which can lead to you receiving something less than adequate treatment and compensation for your injuries, or cause you to return to work before you make a full recovery. In addition, while you may not be able to file suit against your employer, there may be alternatives, including claims against other parties, including the facility owner or operator if that entity is not your employer, or the manufacturers of the dangerous and defective products and equipment that led to the accident that caused the injury.

Any worker who has been injured on the job is entitled to certain things and should not be required to take chances with their livelihood or their health because of an injury that is not their fault. If you or a loved one have been hurt on the job and you believe you are receiving less compensation than you should from the workers comp insurance company, or you believe your injury was at least partly caused by defective equipment, please contact Blizzard Law PLLC and allow our Workplace Injury Attorneys  to evaluate your case and find out if we can get you the compensation you’re entitled to.

https://www.blizzardlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-466692003_super-1.jpg 1335 2000 damg https://www.blizzardlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/logo-blizzard-law-pllc-2-300x92.png damg2015-09-08 16:11:182019-07-27 21:14:30What to Do After a Texas Workplace Accident
Electrocution

Electrocution in the Texas Workplace

July 27, 2015/in Personal Injury /by damg

There are a number of occupations for which workers are commonly exposed to electrical hazards, including machine operators, construction workers and linemen, but on some level nearly every occupation involves the possibility of electrocution, even if the possibilities are small. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011 there were 174 workplace fatalities that were directly related to electricity and there were another 156 in 2012, so this is not a small problem.

There are actually several types of accidents directly related to electricity. The first one, and the most common, is electric shock. Because our bodies are made up of approximately 75 percent water, they are really good conductors of electricity. While almost every one of us has received a minor shock at one point or another, moderate to severe shocks can cause us to lose our ability to breathe and, in some cases, it can lead to heart attack and/or death.

Another type of accident is an electrical burn. This happens when a worker receives a shock that is strong enough to burn body tissue. These types of burns are usually external and affect the skin, but they can also be internal, if the electrical current passes along the bone to deep tissue. The injuries for this type of accident, as you can imagine, can be extremely serious.

Of course, the worst type of electrical accident is the electrical fire. In some cases, such fires can involve an entire building and result in injuries to multiple people. If flammable materials are stored in the immediate area of an electrical fire, they can lead to an explosion. What makes them most dangerous, however, comes when you try to put out the fire with the wrong equipment. If you use water or a water-based extinguisher, it is very possible for the fire to spread.

Again, electrocution happens because of the body’s natural ability to conduct electricity. If a worker comes in direct contact with an electrically energized surface, the current can enter the body at one contact point, travel through the body and exit at a second contact point, which is usually the ground. Even when low level currents travel through the body, depending on how they travel, they can cause a number of different injuries. Moreover, even a mild electrocution can cause a collision or a fall that can result in serious injury or death.

At different levels, electricity can have a different effect on the body, and transition from mild to extreme exposure the longer the victim is exposed.

The level of exposure will usually progress this way:

  • Tingling sensations
  • Muscle contractions and sudden pain
  • Involuntarily letting go of anything in your hand, like a rail or a tool.
  • Paralysis of the respiratory system
  • Ventricular fibrillation and pressure on the heart
  • Organs and tissue begin to burn

Electrocution in the workplace usually comes from employer negligence on some level. It can be caused by frayed or old wires or loose connectors, machines that have not been properly grounded or wires that are improperly placed, such as under carpets or under equipment. All workplaces should have policies and procedures in place to keep all workers safe when working with or around electricity. It is also vital that all workers be trained with regard to electrical safety measures.

If either you or a loved one suffered any kind of electrocution injury, you should contact the experienced Electrical Injury Attorneys at Blizzard Law PLLC to help you file a claim and recover for your injuries and damages, including your medical expenses, lost earnings and your pain and suffering. We can help you protect your rights under Texas and federal law.

https://www.blizzardlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/electrician-2755683.jpg 1331 2000 damg https://www.blizzardlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/logo-blizzard-law-pllc-2-300x92.png damg2015-07-27 16:28:272019-07-27 21:27:59Electrocution in the Texas Workplace
refinery accidents

Defective Equipment and Refinery Accidents

June 18, 2015/in Personal Injury /by damg

What an oil refinery does is to take crude oil and process it, through what is called  fractional instillation, into a number of different forms, such as gasoline for cars, diesel fuel and even jet fuel. Because this process involves heating flammable liquid to extremely high temperatures to separate the different forms of the oil, the margin for error is very small and great care is necessary, in order to protect refinery workers from harm.

Refining oil also takes a lot of equipment, including a furnace, burners, the pipes used to transport the crude oil in and the various other products out and much more complicated machinery that must be maintained in proper working order at all times. Failure to maintain equipment to exacting standards can result in very serious accidents.

Defective equipment is a leading cause of accidents at refineries, as is the case at most industrial workplaces and they are not just limited to those involving explosions.

If equipment isn’t in prime working order, they can cause a number of dangerous situations, such as:

  • Slips and falls: oil is very slick in any form and, if it leaks, it can result in a very dangerous situation for workers unable to keep their footing.
  • Chemical leaks: the chemicals used in the refining process are both toxic and flammable, which means if equipment is defective and chemicals aren’t handled properly, the release can lead to illness, injury or even death.
  • Fires: nearly everything handled at a refinery is flammable, and the process involves heating a flammable liquid to very high temperatures, which means the process has to be handled perfectly. Damaged or poorly maintained equipment can make these processes more unsafe, which can result in extensive fires, which can cause worker injuries or death.
  • Explosions: many refinery fires are the result of fire, while many others can be caused by a mix of chemicals that result from leaks from defective machines that have not been serviced and maintained properly.

Employers are always responsible for developing and maintaining a safe working environment for every worker, including those who perform inherently dangerous work. The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has enacted a number of rules, guidelines and regulations for refineries that the owners and operators of those refineries are required to follow in order to avoid accidents and  worker injury or death. Refinery owners are even supposed to hire certain people who only job it is to inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure that it is always in good working order and that it is safe for workers to use. Virtually all workplace accidents are avoidable, especially those involving defective equipment.

https://www.blizzardlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/oilfield-643836.jpg 1686 2796 damg https://www.blizzardlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/logo-blizzard-law-pllc-2-300x92.png damg2015-06-18 16:38:002019-07-27 21:31:09Defective Equipment and Refinery Accidents

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