Millions of people suffer injuries in the workplace every year. For many, those injuries are temporary. For others, workplace accidents can cause catastrophic trauma that necessitates costly medical care, long and painful recovery periods, and long periods of time away from work. Often, a person’s career and industry dictate the likelihood that they might suffer a catastrophic on-the-job injury.
Our Georgetown catastrophic injury lawyers at Dow Law Firm work closely with individuals who suffer debilitating and life-changing injuries in the workplace, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputation, severe burns, and permanent disability.
We help our clients understand their legal rights after they’re hurt on the job, identify all possible options for recovering compensation, and execute a strategy that helps to mitigate the stress and anxiety that can accompany a debilitating injury.
In our experience, understanding how workplace accidents can lead to catastrophic trauma is fundamental in any related personal injury claim. Knowing how and why a work-related accident happens, and understanding the mechanism behind related catastrophic trauma, can be key to a successful fight for compensation.
Here’s what our catastrophic injury attorneys have seen throughout the years fighting on behalf of catastrophically injured workers in Texas.
Texans Work in Some of the Nation’s Most Dangerous Industries
Texas is home to many industries that have relatively high injury and fatality rates. When accidents occur in these high-risk fields, speaking with a skilled catastrophic injury lawyer can help victims evaluate their options. These include:
Oil and Gas Extraction
Texas generates more than 40 percent of the nation’s crude oil, and about 28 percent of the country’s natural gas. According to the CDC, workers in the oil and gas extraction industry “are consistently overrepresented in numbers of work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.”
The nature of these jobs is incredibly dangerous, as workers are regularly exposed to:
- Toxic gases and dangerous chemicals like hydrogen sulfide gas, hydrocarbon gases and vapors, and diesel particulate matter;
- Naturally occurring radioactive material
- Respirable crystalline silica
- Extreme temperatures
- Volatile working conditions due to drilling operations, high pressure, heavy machinery, and radiation
When workers aren’t properly trained or aren’t provided with appropriate safety equipment, they can be seriously injured if things go wrong. Our catastrophic injury attorneys in Georgetown have seen firsthand how these hazardous conditions lead to life-altering trauma.
Agriculture and Farming
Roughly one out of 7 Texans works in agriculture or farming in some capacity. These jobs aren’t without risk. In fact, at least 21,020 severe injuries were reported in the agriculture industry between 2021 and 2022. Injuries are believed to be widely underreported, so the actual number is probably considerably higher.
Agriculture and farming are particularly dangerous given:
- Exposure to chemicals and pesticides
- Regular use of heavy machinery
- Operation of large trucks and equipment
- Overexertion and fatigue
- Unsafe working conditions
- Isolated working conditions in remote areas
- High heat and long working hours
Working with livestock also carries considerable risks of injury, including for those working in animal processing units. When agricultural accidents cause severe harm, trusted Georgetown catastrophic injury lawyers can help injured workers seek financial recovery.
Trucking and Transportation
Texas has a thriving trucking industry. In fact, large commercial trucks log about 95 million miles on Texas roads every single day. Between 2015 and 2024, the state saw a 27.45% increase in truck daily vehicle miles traveled.
Truck drivers and other workers in the transportation industry are at an increased risk of suffering serious injuries on the job, thanks to:
- Hauling hazardous cargo
- High rates of distracted, drunk, and aggressive drivers
- Poorly maintained vehicles
- Potholes and other road defects
- Tight delivery deadlines and industry pressures
One simple mistake at the wheel or when loading a truck can set the stage for an accident capable of causing catastrophic trauma.
Violations of Important Safety Regulations Can Lead to Catastrophic Workplace Accidents
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulations to reduce the risk of serious workplace accidents and injuries, as do other industry-specific agencies and regulatory organizations.
When employers, even those in relatively safe industries, ignore those safety regulations, cut corners, or encourage unsafe behavior, it’s the workers who get hurt.
Workplace accidents can cause catastrophic injuries when employers:
- Don’t regularly inspect workspaces for slip and fall hazards, improperly erected scaffolds and ladders, exposed wiring, improperly stored chemicals and materials
- Hire unqualified or inexperienced workers and fail to provide adequate training, supervision, and guidance
- Fail to inspect work equipment regularly
- Deviate from accepted safety standards within their industry
- Pressure workers to overexert themselves by working in dangerous conditions or for extended periods of time
- Fail to ensure that equipment is stored and secured safely, which can lead to falling object and crushed-by injuries
When an employer’s poor decisions and lack of compliance with state and federal safety regulations put a worker in harm’s way, they can potentially be liable for damages, especially in a state like Texas where workers’ compensation insurance isn’t necessarily mandated.
In these complex third-party or non-subscriber cases, consulting experienced catastrophic injury attorneys can help injured workers pursue full financial recovery.
Catastrophic Injuries Texas Workers Suffer On the Job
The type of accident you’re involved in in the workplace will influence the type and extent of the injuries you’re most likely to sustain. In our experience, workers in Texas, especially those in construction, oil and gas extraction, transportation, and agriculture, often suffer from:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Nerve damage
- Vision loss and eye injuries
- Hearing loss
- Head injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Severe burns
- Amputation
- Multiple fractures
These types of injuries can force you out of work, require costly medical treatment, and change life as you know it forever. The consequences aren’t something you should have to live with on your own, especially when your accident could have been avoided.
Dow Law Firm Fights to Protect the Rights of Catastrophically Injured Workers in Texas
It only takes a moment for something to go wrong in the workplace. Whether you’ve been hurt in a construction accident, a truck accident, a warehouse or manufacturing accident, or an oil or gas exploration accident, the injuries you suffer can potentially have immediate and long-term consequences.
The catastrophic injury lawyers at Dow Law Firm know how important it is for you to recover compensation to alleviate the burdens you’ve been facing. Contact our Georgetown workplace injury attorneys at (512) 240-9951 to discover how we can make a difference on your road to recovery. Your first consultation is free.