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Job site injuries can leave both your life and your family’s life upside down. Created by Texas Workplace Injury Attorney Hector Longoria, the Houston Construction Accident Guide was made to help residents get the answers they want to get the benefits they need. Contact us today for a free case review.
Working in construction is an extremely dangerous profession. When injuries happen, they can be devastatingly life-altering. There are certain measures that exist to protect these workers and if something fails, it can result in injury. Being injured in a construction accident can lead to loss of enjoyment in life.
These injuries can affect you lifelong and have a serious impact on your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. At Longoria Law, we provide strong and dedicated legal representation. Houston construction accident lawyer Hector Longoria has the experience to get you the compensation that you deserve. We won’t settle for low settlement offers from the insurance companies and neither should you.
Construction Accident Injuries
Texas is on the verge of an economic and population boom, and construction in the state is greater than ever before. Greater Houston’s construction workers play a priceless role in helping Houston and its suburbs grow to meet demand. Whether it is repaving well-traveled roads, building immense high rises in the downtown core of the city, or putting up housing for new arrivals in the state, Houston’s construction workers turn plans for the metro area into reality. With thousands of people from other states and countries migrating to Houston each year, the need for construction in the city will remain on the rise for much of the twenty-first century.
Despite the valuable work that construction workers do every day, their jobs carry with them a high chance of injury. Construction workers in the Houston area are at a particularly elevated risk; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found in 2014 that Greater Houston had the greatest number of deaths on the job in the United States, with 20 fatalities occurring that year. Texas has been home to over 100 construction worker fatalities, the most of any state, in recent years, and workers in the state owe it to themselves to be prepared for accidents. Our team of Houston Personal Injury Attorneys have collectively worked for decades to help people injured on construction sites in Houston, and we pledge to fight for you to receive the compensation that you deserve.
Causes of Construction Accidents
Houston’s workplace-related fatality rate was several times those of Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, and the Houston metro area even outranked Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City in terms of construction-related mishaps and injuries. Though Texas’s construction injury rate has steadily been declining, the state still has a long way to go in improving safety conditions on construction sites.
OSHA reports that the most common cause of injuries and fatalities on construction sites is falling. Tripping over exposed wires, slipping on water, and tumbling from great heights constituted almost 40 percent of construction worker deaths in 2016. If leaks are not stopped in time, railings are not adequately supported, or scaffolding is not secure, the chance of slipping, tripping, and falling is all too high.
Other frequent reasons behind construction-related fatalities are transportation accidents, exposure to unsafe objects, and contact with dangerous materials. Crashes between two motor vehicles, collisions between a vehicle and a stationary object, and overturned vehicles together accounted for one quarter of injuries and deaths among construction workers and pedestrians alike. One in six workers suffered injuries due to falling objects and becoming trapped in collapsing buildings and structures, and factors such as electrocution, overdoses, and heat contributed to another 15 percent of deaths.
Many of these fatalities and injuries stem from violations of workplace safety standards. Inadequate scaffolding, poor communication, insufficient protections against respiratory threats, and issues with wiring are all unacceptable hazards. Construction workers and pedestrians whose injuries stem from any of these safety violations may have legal recourse, so consulting a Houston personal injury attorney will only help them recover from their accidents.
Seeking Representation from a Houston Construction Accident Injury Attorney
Because of the uniquely high rate of construction accident-related injuries in the Houston metropolitan area, local personal injury law firms are well-versed in representing clients whose injuries resulted from negligence. Construction workers may be hesitant at first to reach out to personal injury attorneys because of matters like cost, other priorities, or fear over losing their jobs. Pedestrians who were injured on construction sites can blame themselves for their injuries, brushing off major ailments as resulting from their own doing, and may believe that a Houston construction accident injury attorney would never want to hear their case. The truth is that there is no harm in seeking help, and attorneys with substantial backgrounds in personal injury law will work hard to advocate for their clients.
Before an initial consultation with a Houston personal injury attorney, it is of paramount importance to be prepared, to provide a wealth of documentation, and to be ready to move quickly with legal proceedings. Once you have been injured, as soon as you receive appropriate medical care, it is your time to begin taking action. Gather the contact information of any witnesses who either saw the accident or were present when medical personnel were called. Request and keep several copies of all your medical charts and relevant bills. Return to the scene of the accident as early as possible to take photos. You may not be able to speak to employees of the contractor responsible for the construction site, but if you create and maintain a sizable collection of documents, collecting statements from other employees at the scene of the accident will become a lesser concern. Do not take too long to gather all these documents, though, as prompt action is key.
When you have recovered from the worst of your ailments, you should make it a priority to seek the advice of a Houston construction accident injury attorney. Make sure that you show up to the consultation with as many documents as you can, as your attorney will be able to identify what will and what will not help your case. Any detail may prove helpful; a photo of the construction site can show an unsafe condition, and a note from a doctor will demonstrate the full extent of your injuries. Remember that mental trauma is just as important as physical conditions are, and a diagnosis from a psychologist can underscore the severity of the accident’s effects.
Pursuing legal action after an injury on a construction site may feel intimidating, but you need to consider your health. If inadequate safety precautions led to your injuries, it is the contractor overseeing the construction site who is responsible, and you should not have to bear the physical, emotional, and financial costs of the accident. Dedicated Houston construction accident lawyer Hector Longoria has years of experience representing clients from the Greater Houston metro area in personal injury cases, and we vow to work tirelessly to get you the compensation that you deserve.
If you’ve been hurt in a construction accident, call Hector now to fight for you. Because of his extensive experience in these types of cases, Hector understands the physical, emotional and financial burdens that come with an auto accident or injury. His goal is to help you and lessen the stress. Hector will deal with the insurance companies, adjusters, and defense lawyers to make sure your rights are being protected.
Houston Construction Accident Guide: Frequently Asked Questions
Why Should I Hire a Construction Accident Attorney?
It’s important to hire a construction accident attorney because nobody else is going to protect that worker’s rights and try to help them get full recovery for the damage and injuries they sustained from that job site injury.
What Steps Do I Take Following a Construction Accident Injury?
The most important thing you can do first is to seek medical care and treatment for the injuries sustained. The second important thing you should do is come see me, so I could protect their rights for the injuries that they suffered. These are the necessary steps to take following a construction accident injury to have a better claim.
What Construction Accident Benefits Am I Entitled To?
The first thing that’s important is that there may be Workers’ Compensation. If there’s not Workers’ Compensation, then there are potentially other remedies available to them. If you are hoping to understand the construction accident benefits you can get, it is important that you come in and see me so that we can investigate all the potential remedies available to you for the injuries you sustained on the construction site.
How Long Does a Construction Accident Injury Claim Take?
It will take anywhere from 12 months to 2 years to have us identify all of their injuries, and then fully make sure that the insurance companies and the defendants compensate them justly and fairly for those injuries.
When Should I Advise Management of Construction Accident Injury?
You are making the right choice advising management of a construction accident injury and telling your boss you had been injured on the job site. Otherwise, nobody is going to believe that you were injured on that job site, and it’s important for that boss to then go investigate and identify what caused that injury.
Am I Eligible for Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ Compensation is Texas law. Employers are required to have workers’ compensation for the injuries a worker has at a job site or job location, but that doesn’t mean that there are no other remedies that are available to the worker for the injuries they sustained. It’s important that they meet with a lawyer to try and determine not only whether there’s Workers’ Compensation, but other remedies that are afforded under Texas law.
What Do I Do If My Employer Doesn’t Carry Workers’ Compensation?
If you were injured on job site and your employer doesn’t care workers’ comp, Texas law allows that worker to potentially sue his employer for an unsafe work environment and other negligent actions.
Do I Have a Third-Party Construction Accident Claim?
You have a right to go after another contractor for causing work site injuries and it’s was important to bring that third-party construction accident claim forward.
Do I Have a Wrongful Death Construction Accident Claim?
I had a client come in and talk to me about her husband having died at a construction site. I explained to her that she has rights as a widow, and then also as the mother of the children, to bring claims against the people who were responsible for causing that death. It is also important that she begin that wrongful death construction accident claim immediately because it’s important to preserve the evidence of the events that caused that death.
Why Choose Longoria Law Firm?
Free Initial Consultation
When you’re injured in an accident, you often feel the financial impact immediately. Choosing the right attorney shouldn’t add to that distress. We offer free consultations for all clients so you can get the answers you need without worrying about taking on another financial burden.
No Recovery, No Fee
At the Longoria Law Firm, we handle all personal injury cases on a contingency basis. This means that it will not cost you any money up front to retain us and have us represent you. Furthermore, you don’t pay any fees unless we recover money for you.
Over $200 Million Recovered
With over 20 years of experience, Houston injury lawyer Hector Longoria has obtained Court judgments and settlements for his clients in excess of $200 million. Don’t put your future in the hands of an amateur. Contact us today and let our experience work for you.
About the Author of the Houston Construction Accident Guide:
Attorney Hector Garcia Longoria was born in Galveston Texas, the youngest of five sons, to Matias and Edelmira Longoria. His mother was a school teacher in Cerralvo, Mexico and his father a police officer in Monterrey, Mexico. Shortly after marrying in 1951, his parents made the decision to come to the United States to build a better life for their family. In the United States, Hector’s parents worked on farms in California and Florida before moving to Galveston, where Hector’s father worked as a a longshoreman.
Hector’s parents were determined to see their children succeed; taught him the value of hard work; and the importance of family and respect. Hector graduated from Galveston Ball High School in 1987. Hector then attended Texas A&M University on a scholarship. In May 1992, Hector graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and minors in History and Finance.
With guidance from his parents, Hector then attended law school at the University of Texas beginning in August 1992. During the summer semester in 1993, Hector attended the University of Houston-Mexican Legal Studies in Mexico City, Mexico. In Mexico City, Hector had an opportunity to work as a law clerk for Rich Heather y Mueller S.C. During law school. Hector was also on the Board of Advocates, a member of the National Latino Moot Court Team, a finalist in the Vial Hamilton Endowed Mock Trial, a quarterfinalist in the Susman Godfrey Endowed Moot Court and operations manager for the Hispanic Law Journal. In May 1995, Hector graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas in. Hector became a member of the Texas Bar in November 1995 and has been a practicing attorney in Houston ever since.
As a lawyer, Hector works hard fighting for his client’s rights. Hector devotes his practice to representing clients who have been victims of automobile, trucking, industrial, and work-related accidents that result in severe injuries to the client and client’s family members. Hector understands the importance of being prepared in front the judge and the jury.
In addition to being admitted to practice in Texas state Courts, Hector is also admitted to practice in the Eastern, Southern and Northern United States District Court of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Hector has also worked on cases in California, Louisiana, New Mexico, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York. Please call Hector if you have any questions regarding your legal rights.
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