Workplace Injury

Q: Can construction workers injured on-site ever sue for personal injury?

Texas construction site accidents can have devastating consequences for construction workers as well as innocent bystanders.

Workers injured in on-the-job accidents are often misinformed and don’t realize they may still sue the manufacturer of unsafe or defective products or goods which may have caused their injury in a personal injury action— even if they received workers compensation from their employer.  Third-party liability is very common in construction site accidents and that’s why the post-accident investigation is so important—it helps investigators determine liability.

When explosion injuries happen on a worksite, the severity and scope of the injuries can be catastrophic and the risk of serious burn injuries and fatalities may be greater.

In a personal injury action, those injured as a result of the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions or inactions of another person or entity may be entitled to compensatory damages for their physical and psychological injuries. Among the damages generally recoverable are current and future medical expenses and current and future lost wages or diminished earning capacity, and more.

If a victim dies as a result of the injuries sustained, their closest living relatives may be entitled to compensatory damages as well in a wrongful death action, depending upon their relationship to the victim and the circumstances of their particular case. Survivors may recover the victim’s final medical and funeral expenses, plus damages for financial and other support and losses caused by the victim’s untimely death.

The death toll continues to rise in a recent explosion on a hospital construction site in Gatesville, Texas. Three workers have reportedly died and about 13 others were injured – – nine critically–in what initial investigators said may have been “a construction-related accident resulting in a natural gas explosion in the boiler room”. At least one witness reportedly said a generator had exploded.

In anticipation of a lawsuit, attorneys for injured workers and their families reportedly asked a judge to order that debris removal be halted at the accident site and the evidence thereon be preserved until investigative efforts are complete.

If you or a loved one has been injured or a loved one has been killed in an accident caused by somebody else, the personal injury attorneys at Chandler, Mathis & Zivley can help maximize the compensation to which you may be entitled. Contact us today for a free consultation.

From our offices in Lufkin and Houston, we represent injury victims throughout Texas as well as those injured while visiting Texas.