Work Injury Lawyer

Texas sees thousands of workplace injuries and hundreds of fatal workplace injuries each year, especially in the natural resources, construction, maintenance, production, transportation, and material moving industries. Even work injuries that do not cause death are a hardship on families, as the injuries are often severe or catastrophic. The families not only do not have an income coming in, but they have tens of thousands or more in medical expenses. In Texas, employers are not required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. However, those injured or who lost a loved one on the job have other options to recover fair and reasonable compensation for their losses.

If you lost a loved one or suffered injuries because of a workplace accident, contact a Midland work injury lawyer at Hanna Allen, PLLC for a free consultation by calling (432) 220-3331.

HOW WORK INJURY LAWYERS IN MIDLAND CAN HELP

Whether you file a workers’ compensation claim or you choose to take legal action against your employer, our hurt-on-the-job lawyers in Midland can help. We make sure you get the compensation you deserve by taking several steps:

• We start by investigating your case. Our investigators gather evidence about the accident by taking photos, inspecting tools, equipment, and the scene of the accident, and speaking to witnesses.
• Our firm then consults with experts. Workplaces, especially construction sites and oilfields, have state and federal laws they must abide by to keep their employees safe. We’ll make sure your employer was and is in compliance with workplace safety regulations. We also consult with medical professionals regarding the severity of your injuries.

Once we collect all the evidence needed, we start settlement negotiations with your employer’s insurer. If the insurance company offers a fair and reasonable settlement, you do not have to go to court.

If we believe you should recover more compensation than the insurance company offers and they refuse to offer a fair and reasonable settlement, we can aggressively seek the compensation you deserve by filing a lawsuit against the insurer.

Finally, we ensure that the funds you receive are quickly disbursed. Once we receive the check from the insurance company and it clears the bank, we pay your outstanding medical expenses, reimburse your insurance company if applicable, deduct our fees, which are also negotiated into your settlement, then cut you a check for the balance.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF YOUR EMPLOYER

Employers have a duty to ensure the workplace is safe pursuant to state and federal regulations. Employers must:

• Make sure the workplace does not have serious hazards — e.g., oil spills are immediately cleaned up; open pits are well marked; those responsible setup scaffolding properly; hazardous chemicals are kept contained.
• Ensure the workplace conforms to the standards applicable to the industry, including rules for personal protective equipment.
• Provide warnings of potential hazards on the worksite.
• Inform employees when the workplace contains hazardous chemicals.
• Provide employees with safety training.
• Ensure employees’ tools and equipment are safe and properly maintained.
• Ensure employees have the correct safety gear and that it is in good condition and not out of date.

Despite these regulations, many employers cut corners on safety just to save a buck. However, it can end up costing an employer dearly should someone suffer injuries or die in a workplace accident.

COMMON WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS SEEN BY WORK INJURY ATTORNEYS IN MIDLAND

Situated in the Permian Basin, Midland is home to many oilfields, construction, and transportation jobs – all of which have high incidences of workplace injuries and fatalities. Some of the common workplace injuries include:

• Cuts, scratches, bumps, bruises and other minor injurie
• Crush injuries from equipment and other objects
• Strains, sprains, torn and pulled muscles, and other soft tissue injuries
• Simple and compound fractures
• Crushed bones
• Electrical burns and other electrocution injuries
• Thermal and chemical burns
• Road rash
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Head, neck and shoulder injuries
• Internal injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries.

The types of workplace accidents that could cause these injuries include slipping and falling, getting crushed by or between equipment, vehicle accidents, electrical issues, explosions and more.

You can also recover compensation for secondary injuries, such as infected open wounds incurred in the accident or surgery to repair an accident injury. Another example of a secondary injury is a back injury caused by another injury, such as a broken leg or hip.

WHAT TO DO AFTER A WORKPLACE INJURY

If you suffered injuries at work and are able to take action without causing yourself further harm, you should take pictures of the accident scene, seek medical attention immediately, and report the injury to your immediate supervisor.

Finally, contact a Midland work injury attorney as soon as possible. If you need to file a workers’ compensation claim, you do not have much time. Because of the complexities of workers’ compensation and Texas laws regarding workplace injuries, you should always seek advice from a Midland work injury lawyer before taking any type of action to recover compensation.

RECOVERING DAMAGES AFTER A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT

Texas allows you to recover compensatory and punitive damages after a workplace accident. The court orders compensatory damages – economic and non-economic damages – in an attempt to make you whole again. The money doesn’t make you miraculously recover from the injuries or bring back a loved one, but it does significantly reduce the financial stress you feel from not being able to work.

Economic Damages

Special damages, often referred to as economic damages, have a monetary value and include:

• Medical expenses, including surgeries, doctors’ appointments, follow-up appointments, prescriptions, ambulatory aids, hand controls for vehicles, and medical equipment, such as oxygen tanks/machines. You could also recover compensation for upgrades to your home, including ramps, grab bars and widening doorways. Finally, you could recover the cost of various therapies, including occupational, physical, cognitive and psychological therapy sessions.
• Lost wages.
• Loss of earning capacity for full and partial wages until the time of your normal retirement if your injuries cause disabilities that prevent you from working or allow you to work only for a lesser salary or part-time.
• Recovery of personal property.
• Death-related expenses, including funeral, burial, and cremation expenses, probate court expenses, and the cost of a probate attorney.

Non-Economic Damages

General damages, often referred to as non-economic damages, do not have an easily calculated monetary value and include:

• Pain and suffering, including emotional distress.
• Inconvenience if you have to hire someone to do the chores you usually do, including but not limited to lawn maintenance, home repair and maintenance, grocery shopping and house cleaning.
• Loss of quality of life if you have to make lifestyle changes, such as taking prescriptions or using ambulatory aids for the rest of your life.
• Loss of companionship if you cannot enjoy spending time with your family or participating in family activities and events.
• Loss of consortium if you can no longer enjoy a physical relationship with your spouse.
• Excessive scarring and/or disfigurement, such as that suffered from burns, road rash, or crush injuries.
• Loss of use of a body part, such as an arm or foot.
• Loss of use of bodily functions, such as your hearing, eyesight, or bladder.
• Amputation of a digit or limb.

A MIDLAND WORK INJURY LAWYER CAN HELP YOU RECOVER THE COMPENSATION YOU DESERVE

Because of the type of industries located in the Permian Basin, we see a lot of construction and oilfield injuries and fatal accidents. Texas does not require employers to carry workers’ compensation, which adds to the complexity of cases. If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one in a workplace accident, contact a Midland work injury lawyer at Hanna Allen, PLLC as soon as possible after an accident for a free case evaluation.

Reach Out To A Midland Work Injury Attorney Today

If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one because of the actions or inactions of another person at work, you could recover damages, including medical expenses and pain and suffering. Contact a Midland work injury attorney at Hanna Allen, PLLC at (432) 220-3331 for a free case evaluation.

RECOVERING DAMAGES AFTER A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT

Texas allows you to recover compensatory and punitive damages after a workplace accident. The court orders compensatory damages – economic and non-economic damages – in an attempt to make you whole again. The money doesn’t make you miraculously recover from the injuries or bring back a loved one, but it does significantly reduce the financial stress you feel from not being able to work.

Economic Damages

Special damages, often referred to as economic damages, have a monetary value and include:

• Medical expenses, including surgeries, doctors’ appointments, follow-up appointments, prescriptions, ambulatory aids, hand controls for vehicles, and medical equipment, such as oxygen tanks/machines. You could also recover compensation for upgrades to your home, including ramps, grab bars and widening doorways. Finally, you could recover the cost of various therapies, including occupational, physical, cognitive and psychological therapy sessions.
• Lost wages.
• Loss of earning capacity for full and partial wages until the time of your normal retirement if your injuries cause disabilities that prevent you from working or allow you to work only for a lesser salary or part-time.
• Recovery of personal property.
• Death-related expenses, including funeral, burial, and cremation expenses, probate court expenses, and the cost of a probate attorney.

Non-Economic Damages

General damages, often referred to as non-economic damages, do not have an easily calculated monetary value and include:

• Pain and suffering, including emotional distress.
• Inconvenience if you have to hire someone to do the chores you usually do, including but not limited to lawn maintenance, home repair and maintenance, grocery shopping and house cleaning.
• Loss of quality of life if you have to make lifestyle changes, such as taking prescriptions or using ambulatory aids for the rest of your life.
• Loss of companionship if you cannot enjoy spending time with your family or participating in family activities and events.
• Loss of consortium if you can no longer enjoy a physical relationship with your spouse.
• Excessive scarring and/or disfigurement, such as that suffered from burns, road rash, or crush injuries.
• Loss of use of a body part, such as an arm or foot.
• Loss of use of bodily functions, such as your hearing, eyesight, or bladder.
• Amputation of a digit or limb.

A MIDLAND WORK INJURY LAWYER CAN HELP YOU RECOVER THE COMPENSATION YOU DESERVE

Because of the type of industries located in the Permian Basin, we see a lot of construction and oilfield injuries and fatal accidents. Texas does not require employers to carry workers’ compensation, which adds to the complexity of cases. If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one in a workplace accident, contact a Midland work injury lawyer at Hanna Allen, PLLC at (432) 220-3331 as soon as possible after an accident for a free case evaluation.