Houston Construction Accident Lawyer
Common types of construction accidents in Houston
Common types of construction injuries
What should I do after a construction accident?
What statutes of limitation exist in Houston, Texas, for filing construction accident lawsuits?
Who is liable for a construction accident?
Working construction is one of the most dangerous jobs in America and can lead to on-the-job accidents, seriously impacting people’s lives.
While construction is dangerous, it has also seen tremendous demand in areas like Houston, Texas, one of the busiest markets for construction in the United States in recent years.
Unfortunately, construction accidents often result in extensive physical and financial damage to victims and their families, severely impacting their quality of life. Here’s what you should understand about construction accident risks and how to hold the persons responsible for them accountable with a Houston construction accident lawyer.
Common types of construction accidents in Houston
When starting a job in construction, workers understand that accidents come with the territory and are one of the hazards of their profession. Some types of construction accidents commonly seen in Houston include:
Scaffolding Injuries
Scaffolding injuries come in many forms and can result from disastrous accidents like:
- A worker falling off scaffolding
- Being hit by falling objects
- Accidental electrocution injuries
- Being involved in a scaffolding collapse
- Scaffolding is a temporary structure typically set up in multiple levels around a construction site to allow workers access to higher points on the exterior of a
building.
Even though scaffolding intends to elevate and support workers on a construction site, poorly constructed guardrails, faulty harnesses, or an unstable structural design can still lead to scaffolding falls and serious injuries.
Since scaffolding encompasses multiple levels, workers can accidentally drop objects off their structure and injure workers on lower levels.
Fatal falls
In the construction industry, fatal falls are one of the leading causes of work-related death. Most construction sites have tall structures and dangerous debris that can cause workers to slip and fall amid hazardous working conditions.
Lift accidents
Faulty lift machinery can cause accidents due to manufacturing defects or poor maintenance of frequently used lift equipment. In some cases, serious accidents may occur from exposed elevator shafts that are improperly secured.
Burns
Burn injuries on construction sites can occur under dangerous, unsafe, and negligent working conditions such as:
- Exposed wires
- Electrical system faults
- Open power sources
- Toxic chemical spills
- Improper machine operation
Contact Our Firm
Our Houston Office
10940 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N. Suite 100
Houston, TX 77064
What Our Clients Say
Crush Injuries
Construction sites typically have objects elevated above the ground, sometimes at extraordinary heights. If these objects fall, they may cause crush injuries to a worker located on a lower level.
When negligent workers are on higher levels, there is an increased risk of tools dropping, small machinery falling from above, or construction materials breaking loose, falling onto bystanders down below.
Dangerous Equipment
Dangerous equipment can cause several injuries on construction sites if poorly maintained or poorly operated, posing a myriad of severe dangers to both construction workers and bystanders.
Trench cave-ins
Trenches on construction sites have the possibility of collapsing onto workers inside, resulting in tragic crave-in accidents. Workers could be trapped inside and sustain severe injuries due to falling debris and the collapsing structure.
Chemical exposure
Construction sites are full of hazardous materials that could lead to severe injury, illness, or death if handled without proper training or safety gear.
Common types of construction injuries
Construction injuries can range from mild to severe, depending on the accident’s circumstances and the objects, machinery, or heights involved.
The most common injuries seen in Houston construction workers include:
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Burn injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Severe lacerations
Amputation injuries
Crush injuries
Permanent nerve damage
Internal organ damage
Eye injuries
Impalement
Paralysis
What should I do after a construction accident?
If you’ve been involved in a construction accident, there are several immediate steps you should take to ensure your well-being and document the circumstances surrounding your accident.
Seek medical attention
Immediately following the accident, you should seek medical attention by either dialing 911, visiting a local Houston hospital, or scheduling an urgent visit with your primary care physician (PCP), assuming you’re able to do so.
There are several local hospitals you can visit in the Houston metro area, including:
Report the accident injury to your employer
Contact your employer and follow your employer’s procedures to report an on-the-job injury due to your accident.
In Texas, workers have up to 30 days to notify their employer in writing of an injury they received on the job. Filing within this time ensures you can preserve your right to workers’ compensation benefits.