All along the Gulf Coast and throughout the state, industrial plants and various other facilities serving the oil and gas industry provide jobs to thousands of hard-working Texas residents. Despite how common they are, these kinds of occupations can also be uniquely dangerous. There is a high rate of injurious and fatal accidents that occur in these plants every year.

If you were hurt while performing industrial plant work because of another person’s negligence, you should speak with a dedicated workers’ comp attorney as soon as possible about your legal options. Through civil litigation, a Houston industrial plant accident lawyer at our firm can help you demand the compensation you deserve.

How Negligence May Lead to Industrial Plant Accidents

No matter what type of work you perform as an industrial plant employee, it is vital that you and everyone else around you wear appropriate protective gear, follow all applicable safety rules and regulations, and pay attention to your duties. These steps can minimize the risk of causing harm to another worker due to recklessness or carelessness.

If anyone affiliated with an industrial facility causes an accident directly through their own failure to meet these basic obligations, their negligence could serve as grounds for a lawsuit or settlement demand against them. A single mistake or irresponsible act by an industrial plant employee can have dire repercussions for multiple other people on site. Importantly, though, that individual worker is not the only party who could be at fault for ensuing damages.

Industrial Plant Employer Liability

In many situations, a worker’s employer may bear vicarious liability for failing to train and/or supervise them properly. The employer could even be directly liable for injuries caused by a lack of functioning protective gear or broad failure to enforce safety guidelines.

Third-Party Liability

Alternatively, industrial plant accidents in Houston may stem from a defective piece of machinery. In these circumstances, a skilled attorney could build a successful claim against a third-party manufacturer or seller. Even non-working site visitors may be civilly liable for worksite accidents if they cause an incident by not following site rules or acting carelessly.

Recovering Comprehensively for Industrial Plant Accidents

Available damages following an industrial plant accident can vary depending on the situation. Since Texas law does not require employers to maintain workers’ compensation insurance, many industrial companies do not assume strict liability for all work-related accidents that impact their employees. If an injured employee can prove that negligence by their employer and/or any third party was directly responsible for causing their accident, though, they can potentially recovery for a much wider range of losses than a workers’ comp claim would allow.

Specific recoverable damages may include but are not limited to:

  • All expenses for past and future medical treatment, including rehabilitative care
  • Lost short-term work income
  • Lost long-term earning capacity, including costs of job retraining services if applicable
  • Personal property damage
  • Physical pain from injuries
  • Lost consortium
  • Lost enjoyment of life due to long-term disfigurement or disability
  • Emotional/psychological trauma

A hardworking lawyer in Houston could specify what losses you may be able to recover after an industrial plant injury.

Talk to a Houston Industrial Plant Accident Attorney to Learn More

Industrial accidents cause irreversible harm to far too many workers each year, many of whom could have avoided injury if everyone around them had acted reasonably and safely. In scenarios like this, guidance from a seasoned legal representative can be vital to understanding and enforcing your right to pursue financial recovery.

A conversation with a Houston industrial plant accident lawyer could provide the answers and guidance you need to seek the compensation you deserve. Call Roberts Markland LLP today to schedule a consultation.