March 18, 2022
If you or a loved one was involved in a factory accident, you are not alone. More than 116,000 workers are injured each year in the U.S. in manufacturing accidents, according to data from the National Safety Council. Several hundred, unfortunately, are killed.
Factory accidents may be caused by employers who don’t follow all the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety regulations. If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to sue for substantial compensation for your injuries. Texas law on workplace injuries is complex. Don’t try to figure it out on your own. Call an experienced Texas factory accident lawyer for the help you need to get all the compensation you are entitled to receive.
What Are the Most Common Accidents in Factories?
Factories, unfortunately, have many hazards that are dangerous for workers. Some of the most common accidents in factories happen when workers are struck by heavy objects, get caught in machinery, suffer sprains or other injuries from overexertion, suffer from repetitive motion injuries, fall, are exposed to toxic substances, are involved in forklift accidents, or get burned.
The various types of accidents that happen in factories may cause minor injuries, severe injuries, or death. If you are severely injured, you have many problems to deal with. You need medical treatments for your injuries and may continue to need treatment for a long time in the future. You may not be able to work at all, or you may have to cut back your hours or accept a lower-paying job. This, too, many continue into the future. You may be dealing with pain, emotional suffering, loss of the ability to do the things you enjoy, and your family’s loss of your help, support, and companionship.
An experienced Houston factory accident lawyer can help you seek the compensation you need for your medical treatment, lost income, and other expenses and losses.
The Top 8 Accidents That Happen in Factories
Many things can go wrong on and around a factory floor. Some types of accidents, though, are more common than others. These are the top eight most common types of accidents that happen in factories:
Being Hit by an Object
Workers who get hit by heavy falling objects can be severely injured or killed. Serious and fatal injuries can also be caused by being crushed or squeezed between objects, between objects and walls, in ropes, or under collapsing equipment or structures.
Machinery Accidents
Workers whose hands, arms, or other body parts get caught in machinery can be severely injured or killed. Body parts can be crushed so badly that they have to be amputated. The result can be fatal if a worker is pulled into a machine and is unable to get out or to turn the machine off.
Overexertion Injuries
Factory workers who lift and move heavy objects are at risk of getting sprains, strains, and other injuries to muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments. Overexertion injuries are also often caused by turning, reaching, lowering, pushing, carrying, or throwing – all actions that are common parts of many factory workers’ jobs. These injuries typically affect the arms, shoulders, back, or neck.
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Unlike injuries from accidents, which may happen instantly, repetitive motion injuries usually get worse gradually over time. When your job requires that you make the same motions over and over, your muscles, tendons, and nerves can become inflamed. The motion does not have to be strenuous, because the damage builds up slowly, through repetition. The result can be pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness.
Repetitive motion injuries are common among assembly line workers. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects the hand and the arm, is a common example of a repetitive motion injury. Back and neck injuries are also common.
Falls
Workers may fall down from ladders, loading docks, or from a higher level to a lower one in factories. Falling while walking is also a common cause of worker injury. Oil and other liquids that are spilled on floors and not cleaned up create slipping hazards. Uneven floors and stairs, and objects and cords left on the ground create tripping hazards. Injuries from falls include broken bones, injuries to the head or spine, and sprains or strains.
Exposure to Harmful Substances
If you are working in a factory that is manufacturing harmful chemicals or other substances, or if there are toxic substances in equipment in your work area, you may become sick after being exposed over time. Asbestos is an example of a toxic substance that will eventually cause cancer, but only after a long period of exposure.
Other toxic substances can harm workers instantly. Chemical spills or the release of toxic gas can cause immediate injuries.
Forklift Accidents
Forklifts are heavy and unstable. They can cause severe or fatal injuries to forklift drivers and nearby workers if they turn or roll over. Other forklift injuries include drivers’ falling off, heavy loads that fall off the forklift and hit someone on the ground, forklifts that fall off of the loading dock, and forklifts that run into people that the driver didn’t see.
Fires
Factory fires have been injuring workers since at least the early 1900s. Chemicals may cause explosions that create enormous fires. Flammable substances can ignite quickly. When a factory contains toxic substances, a fire can spread dangerous fumes that can injure not only the factory workers but also the whole surrounding community.
How A Houston Factory Accident Lawyer Can Help You
There are several situations in Texas where you can file a lawsuit for compensation for your accident-related current and future medical expenses, current and future lost income, and other losses and expenses.
Employers in Texas are not required to carry state workers’ compensation insurance. If your employer does not carry workers’ comp insurance, and their negligence contributed to your factory accident, you may be able to bring a lawsuit against them.
There are other situations where you may be able to sue for substantial compensation. For example, you may be able to sue the manufacturer of equipment if you were hurt because the equipment was defective. The Houston factory accident lawyers at Waldman Legal would be glad to talk to you and provide a free case evaluation. We will let you know if you have a good case to make a claim against your employer or against another person or company that was involved in your accident.
We speak English and Spanish, and we are dedicated to using our knowledge and experience to help injured workers get the compensation they need. Call us now at (713) 688-4878 for your free consultation.
