Anyone can get hurt on the job, even if they work in a tidy office environment; however, some work sites are more dangerous than others and many of the booming industries in Texas are among the most hazardous and physically demanding. These include the oil, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and freight industries. There were 178,900 non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses reported in Texas in 2021 with an incident rate of 2.1 injuries for every 100 full-time employees.
Though work-related injuries have decreased overall in recent decades due to better regulation, over-exertion, slip-and-fall accidents, and equipment accidents are still a regular occurrence in Texas, leading to workers’ compensation claims and third-party liability lawsuits. Employees injured on the job have a right to compensation for the economic damages caused by painful and often debilitating workplace injuries.
Common Workplace Injuries in Texas
Even when employers do their best to ensure a safe work environment, there are sometimes mistakes, oversights, or accidents caused by third parties such as contractors, subcontractors, construction property owners, and drivers on the road with on-the-job employees. Some of the most common workplace injuries in Texas include:
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Fractures
- Traumatic head injuries
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Crush injuries
- Burns
- Chemical exposure injuries
- Soft-tissue injuries like strains, sprains, and torn ligaments
Many workplace injuries require serious medical treatment, surgeries, medication, physical therapy, and time away from work during recovery. Medical bills may pile up at the same time you are unable to return to work. A Texas personal injury attorney with experience in workplace injury claims can investigate your accident and determine the best way forward to maximize your compensation.
How Do Workplace Accidents Commonly Occur in Texas?
Slip-and-Fall or Trip-and-Fall Injuries
Falls are among the most common workplace injuries in Texas. Some common slip-and-fall injuries reported in Texas workers’ compensation claims include:
- Slipping on wet, icy, or oily floors or ground surfaces
- Tripping due to clutter, poor lighting, or uneven ground surfaces
- Falling from ladders, scaffolding, or roofs
Blunt-Force Trauma, Lacerations, and Crush Injuries
Many workplace injuries result from blows from outside forces or accidental encounters with sharp equipment. Some common reasons for these injuries include:
- Falling objects, boxes, materials, and equipment
- Machinery with poor safety features or guards not in place
- Becoming trapped between heavy equipment and a stationary object or wall
- Walking or falling into machinery
- Part of an employee’s body or clothing becoming caught in machinery
Hazardous or Toxic Exposures
Some employees sustain injuries from exposure to hazardous materials, chemicals, or fires, sometimes causing injuries to the skin, eyes, ears, and respiratory system of those exposed.
Motor-Vehicle Accidents
Many on-the-job injuries occur when workers are driving heavy equipment at a work site, or are driving motor vehicles off the work site to make deliveries, pick-ups, or to run errands. Crashes and collisions cause serious injuries to employees who are driving for work-related reasons.
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Many work occupations require continuous or frequent repetitive motions that can cause injuries to the back, knees, elbows, wrists, and other joints, vertebrae, and ligaments in the body. These injuries develop over time and can become painful and complex, especially when left untreated.
No matter how your work injury occurred, a work injury lawyer is a good ally to help you claim the compensation you deserve for the economic and non-economic damages that result when you’ve been hurt on the job.