Americans spend roughly one-third of their lives at work, according to Gettysburg College. On average, a typical person will waste a total of 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime. So it comes as no surprise that workplace injuries are exceedingly common. Our Houston Personal Injury Attorney is here to help. Workers face the possibility of getting injured on the job in virtually all work environments. Conditionally the type of workplace and work you do present particular risks. Of course, the likelihood of injury occurring is higher in specific workplace environments.
Common Workplace Accidents
Workplace injuries usually materialize from overexertion and bodily reaction, slips, trips, falls, and contact with equipment and objects. Overexertion and bodily reaction include the following types of injuries:
- Non-impact injuries. Typically a consequence of excessive physical effort aimed at an outside force. Commonly these injuries take the form of throwing, carrying, lifting, holding, pushing, or turning.
- Repetitive motion. Designated microtasks resulting in stress or strain on some part of the body caused by the repetitive nature of the task, generally without engaging in a strenuous effort like heavy lifting.
Falls, slips, and trips include the following types of injuries:
- Falling to a lower level. Typically from falling through surfaces, a collapsing structure, and falling from roofs, scaffolding, ladders, and other elevated structures.
- Jumping to a lower level. These are unlike other falls because they are voluntary and controlled.
- Falling on the same level. Such causes include slipping, tripping, falling while seated, and falling against or onto an object.
- Trips and slips that don’t result in a fall. In this instance, a worker will catch themselves before they fall from a trip or slip.
Contact with equipment or objects includes the following types of injuries:
- Equipment, material, or collapsing structure either striking, catching, or crushing a worker.
- A part of the worker’s body being pinched, crushed, squeezed, or compressed between shifting objects, in a wire or rope, in equipment, or between stationary objects.
- Injury from an object striking a worker
- Friction or pressure between the worker and the source of the injury
- A moving object striking a worker
- Vibration of an object or equipment causing injury to the worker
Industries with the Greatest Risk of Injury
- Construction. Construction accounts for roughly one out of five work-related deaths in private industry, according to OSHA. Construction workers regularly are exposed to what OSHA refers to as the “Fatal Four” accidentals risks: getting struck by an object, getting caught in or between objects, falls, and electrocution.
- First Responders. Firefighters, Police Officers, and EMS. These jobs require workers to actively put themselves in harm’s way, often leading to an injury at some point in their career.
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair. These workers are typically surrounded by heavy pieces of equipment and find themselves in elevated heights. These conditions produce accident-prone environments.
- Manufacturing and Production. These workers typically perform tedious and repetitive actions that can lead to injury. Additionally, these workers are usually around dangerous equipment and in the event of a malfunction can cause harm.
- Transportation and Shipping. These workers typically repeatedly lift heavy objects that can lead to severe injuries.
Common Office Related Injuries
Nonetheless, even seemingly harmless work environments, like desk jobs, pose a threat. Repetitive stress injuries are exceedingly common among office workers. Common injuries caused by repetitive stress or strain include:
- Injuries Caused by Inflammation. Typically resulting in stenosing tenosynovitis, De Quervain’s Disease, and tendonitis.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Often worders develop carpal tunnel syndrome in their wrists making it extremely painful for workers to perform daily routines.
- Tennis Elbow. Commonly the result of tasks like operating tools, performing dental and medical exams, painting, welding, and cutting.
The True Cost of Workplace Injuries
The National Safety Council estimates that more than 150K employees suffer workplace injuries each year. The ensuing medical expenses and wages lost can be quite substantial. Unfortunately, it’s not unheard of for injured workers to go into debt as a result. The emotional toll and physical pain from your injury both have financial and non-financial costs. Over your lifetime, these costs could become insurmountable. Hiring a Houston personal injury attorney from our team will assert your legal rights to recoup your damages.
Know Your Rights
If you’ve suffered any job-related injury, you may be entitled to compensation for missed time at work, medical bills, and additional losses. One of our personal injury lawyers will fight for the compensation you deserve. We argue for compensation calculated by three factors. First, how you were injured; second, the extent of your injury; third, your employment status. Depending on these circumstances, you may be entitled to recover the following:
- Supplemental security income (SSI) benefits
- Long-term disability &/or Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits
- Personal injury damages
- Workers’ compensation benefits
- Other forms of financial compensation
It’s important to seek compensation from multiple sources because a single source settlement will most likely not be sufficient to cover all of your injury-related losses. For example, workers’ compensation will usually only cover medical expenses and a portion of the lost wages. With your health and finances on the line, you must seek the compensation you have a claim to seek. We have the Houston personal injury attorney to fight for you.
To find out how we can help you, contact an Houston Personal Injury Attorney at 512-400-7070 or send us a message. We will schedule an initial client consultation to review your case details and lay out a game plan for your personal injury case. Additionally, we will not charge you for our services unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for your case. Whether you are dealing with a railroad accident, the manufacturer of a defective product, or an insurance company, AZ Law Firm will pursue the legal action necessary to secure justice and financial restitution for you and your loved ones.
We understand times are tough and that there probably hasn’t been a tougher time in your life. Although we could get away with charging exuberant amounts, we prefer not to as we are a law firm by the people, for the people. We do not want you to worry about whether you can afford to hire an attorney to protect and defend your rights. Call one of our Houston personal injury attorney team members and be surprised at the quality you receive compared to what other law firms will quote you!
Accordingly, the attorneys at AZ Law Firm will always provide you with a free initial consultation. During this initial consultation, one of our personal injury attorneys will evaluate your case, inform you of any legal options that may be available, and allow you to ask any questions that you may have. AZ Law Firm offers affordable rates for all our clients and will work with you on payment plans. Our firm accepts checks, debit cards, and most major credit cards to cover the costs of your legal representation.