Arlington, TX Work Injury Lawyer

Dealing with a work-related injury can be devastating. Things can be even more difficult if you are the sole provider in your household and are now forced to miss time at work. However, not everything is lost. There are ways to obtain compensation following a work-related injury that can help replace your lost wages, cover your medical bills, and pay for your pain and suffering.

Our Arlington, TX work injury attorneys from The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. understand the difficulties associated with a workplace injury. We are ready to provide you with tireless, aggressive, and strategic legal representation every step of the way. To learn more about all of our services and how we can help you with your workplace injury case, call our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.

Common Causes of Work-Related Injuries in Arlington, TX

Workplace accidents and injuries can happen for many different reasons. Almost every worker is at risk of suffering an accident at work. However, some employees in certain positions or certain industries are at a higher risk of sustaining severe injuries due to the nature of their work. For instance, construction workers often work around power tools, heavy machinery, debris, and other construction materials and objects. Many times, accidents at a construction site can lead to severe, life-threatening injuries. This does not mean people working in less dangerous environments can’t sustain severe injuries.

Common causes of workplace accidents and injuries in Arlington include the following:

Slip and Falls

Slip and falls are one of the leading causes of workplace accidents in the U.S. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), in 2016, there were almost a quarter of a million slip and fall accidents spread across multiple industries, such as construction, manufacturing, retail, and business services, among others in the U.S. While many may think slip and fall accidents are not as severe as other types of accidents, such as car accidents and truck accidents, they can lead to severe, painful, and life-threatening injuries.

Being Caught Between Heavy Objects

Another common cause of workplace accidents is getting caught between heavy objects, such as big machinery. This kind of accident is common in industries such as construction, warehousing, and assembly lines. For instance, a worker can get caught in between a forklift and the wall, or an assembly line worker can get their hands or legs clenched by mechanical equipment. If you or a loved one was caught or trapped by heavy objects in the workplace and suffered injuries, our Arlington, TX work injury lawyers can help.

Overexertion

Overexertion injuries are common across the whole labor spectrum. These painful, disabling injuries are the result of things such as lifting, pulling, and carrying. Repetitive stress injuries are also related to overexertion. Some of the leading causes of overexertion injuries are improper lifting, manual lifting of heavy objects, or continuously carrying heavy objects for extended periods. Similarly, repetitive stress injuries happen as a result of the constant use of parts of the body. The most common example of a repetitive stress injury is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is caused by continuous, small motions, such as typing and clicking at work.

Workplace Violence

Many people face injuries because of intentional acts of violence in the workplace. These could involve assault by a coworker or supervisor or even assault by a customer or client. Many instances of workplace violence occur in hospitals. In fact, one of the most common reasons that hospital workers are injured is because of violent or dangerous patients who assault them. Nonetheless, your employer might be responsible for injuries from violence, even if your employer was not the one who directly assaulted you. These injuries are also common for servers, bartenders, and bouncers at bars and restaurants and for drivers at taxi companies, Uber, or Lyft.

Sexual Assault

As with workplace violence, workplace sexual assault is often a serious problem in some industries and workplaces. If you were touched inappropriately by a coworker or supervisor, or if you were the victim of rape or other sexual crimes in the workplace, our attorneys may be able to help. We can hold employers and individuals responsible for these kinds of attacks.

Auto Accidents and Transportation Injuries

Transportation workers, such as truck drivers, are at some of the highest risk of injury at work. If you work as a truck driver, your “workplace” might move, but a work-related injury can still mean holding your employer responsible in many cases. Victims of work-related auto accidents can also include bus drivers, public transit workers, taxi drivers, Uber and Lyft drivers, and delivery drivers. You could also be injured in an auto accident while traveling to or from a job site or while being driven on a truck or golf cart between locations on a large job site. Especially if the driver was a coworker who was drunk or high when they crashed the vehicle, you could suffer serious damages you can sue for.

Common Workplace Injuries in Arlington, Texas

According to the NSC, a worker suffers an injury in the workplace every 7 seconds. Not all injuries are the same, and a worker can suffer a range of injuries from very mild injuries that do not require time off work all the way to disabling injuries that may put their lives and safety at risk.

The NSC has reported the most common types of workplace injuries include sprains, tears, cuts, and lacerations. Depending on the extent of the injury, a workplace injury victim may require emergency medical assistance, surgery, and a lengthy recovery period.

Most work injuries and accidents are preventable, and yet, many workers do not have employers or supervisors that make any effort to stop these accidents and injuries. Injured workers may ask themselves whether there is a way to obtain compensation after suffering an injury at the workplace. Fortunately, there are usually multiple ways to get compensation for your workplace injuries.

Suing for Damages After a Workplace Accident in Arlington, TX

Injured workers usually use one of two systems in Texas to get compensation for their injuries: they can either file a workers’ compensation claim or they can file a lawsuit. Certain laws restrict workers who are covered by workers’ comp. from being able to file lawsuits, forcing them to use that system instead of a lawsuit. However, workers in Texas are allowed to opt out of workers’ compensation when they start a new job, which preserves their right to sue.

Workers’ comp. was created with the purpose of providing support to all workers who sustain injuries within the scope of their occupation without asking them to prove who was at fault first. If you are an injured worker who suffered injuries that prevent you from returning to work, the workers’ compensation system might be able to assist. The payouts from workers’ comp. in Texas cover a portion of your normal wages and pay for medical expenses, but they do not cover damages for pain and suffering.

If you opt out of workers’ comp. or your employer does not have workers’ compensation coverage, you can often preserve your right to sue and open access to additional compensation for pain and suffering. Lawsuits against employers often highlight pain and suffering as one of the biggest areas of damages alongside medical expenses and lost wages. If you file for workers’ comp., you automatically give up the possibility of getting pain and suffering damages.

When you file a lawsuit, you must prove that the at-fault party is legally responsible for your injuries. Many employers are able to dodge liability by blaming a coworker or a third party for the injuries. In these cases, you might still be able to sue that coworker or a responsible third party, which might actually be the best way to pursue compensation. For instance, a truck driver who was hit by another driver on the road could file a lawsuit against that at-fault driver, potentially collecting full damages – but their employer might not be responsible for the crash at all.

Talk to a lawyer about whom to sue in your case and how to pursue maximum compensation for your injuries.

Financial Compensation for an Injury at Work in Arlington, Texas

When you are injured in an accident in Arlington, there are a few areas of damages that you can usually claim. As discussed, damages for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering often make up the basis of most claims for damages and compensation after a workplace injury.

Damages for medical bills can be claimed for any bills you face related to the injury, including emergency hospital treatment, follow-up appointments with your doctor, rehabilitation, and even mental health counseling for PTSD symptoms and depression after an accident.

Damages for lost wages can help you recover the full value of any wages you missed during your recovery, as well as any wages you will miss going forward. Lost wages from workers’ comp. cover only a portion of your wages and might be limited in the number of weeks they will cover. These damages could be higher in a lawsuit.

Damages for pain and suffering can help pay for the “noneconomic” effects of an injury. You cannot put a price tag on physical pain or mental anguish after a lawsuit, but you can still seek compensation for it. Worse injuries often yield higher pain and suffering damages, and compensation for reduced enjoyment of life and other facets of “pain and suffering” can also be claimed.

Noneconomic damages can also include “punitive damages.” These are additional damages that an at-fault employer or other negligent party is ordered to pay for especially dangerous negligence or repeat acts of violence, negligence, or abuse. These damages are rare, but they could net you additional compensation in some cases.

Talk to a lawyer about what your case is worth, and never rely on the values that your employer or another party gives you. These groups do not represent you and your best interests, but your lawyer is legally obligated to fight for your best interests and advocate for you.

Call Our Work Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation in Arlington, TX

If you or a loved one suffered an injury at work, our Arlington, TX work injury lawyers can help. At The Queenan Law Firm, P.C., we understand how difficult dealing with a workplace injury can be for you and your family. For this reason, we work tirelessly and aggressively to get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Let our many years of experience work for you while you focus on recovering from your injuries. To learn more about all of our services in a free, confidential consultation, call our Arlington, TX work injury lawyers today at (817) 476-1797.