Midland Work Injury Lawyer

Thousands of workplace injuries occur in Texas each year, especially in the natural resources, construction, transportation, production, and maintenance industries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 533 occupational fatalities in Texas in 2021, but nonfatal work-related injuries can be just as devastating to workers and their families.

If you have been injured at work and you believe someone else’s negligence is responsible, you may have a case and an experienced Midland work injury lawyer from our office can help. At Barrera Law Group LLC, we understand how complicated cases like yours can be and we’re here to assist with the entire process. You deserve compensation for your injuries and the negligent party should be held responsible.

What Is a Work Injury?

A work injury is just as it sounds, any injury or illness that occurs as a result of an employee’s job duties. Any type of injury often greatly impacts a person’s life and their ability to continue working to support themselves and their families. Work injuries can include any of the following:

• Physical injuries: Any kind of physical injury such as broken bones, burns, loss of limbs, etc.
• Illness: Contracted illnesses due to exposure to job site materials or working in an industry that requires long hours and is understaffed.
• Mental health issues: Stress-related issues from being overworked or suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relating to your job.

It’s imperative to understand that a work injury doesn’t have to occur at your place of employment. If you are injured while making a delivery at another location or while performing a task, like maintenance, at a client’s site, your injury can still be considered a work injury.

Types of Work Injuries

The largest source of revenue in West Texas is the oil industry and it is also one of the main sources of jobs for the area. Midland and Odessa are hubs for the Permian Basin which is the largest oil-producing basin in the United States and has an output of 5.7 million barrels per day (b/d), according to the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA).

As a result, the most common work injuries our Midland office sees are related to oil field accidents, but not all of them. With so many facets to the oil industry and other similarly dangerous occupations in the area, the following injuries can occur:

• Burns (electrical, thermal, or chemical)
• Broken, crushed, or fractured bones
• Torn or pulled muscles
• Cuts or bruises
• Road rash
• Back and spinal injuries
• Internal injuries
• Accidental amputations
• Head, neck, and shoulder injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)

These are not the only injuries that can occur due to negligence in the workplace, secondary injuries such as infections from an open cut or necessary surgery to repair a broken leg are also taken into consideration when your lawyer reviews your case.

What To Do When a Work Injury Occurs

As with any other type of injury, those that occur while you’re working need to be treated and reported as soon as possible. If you suffer an injury at work, you should follow these steps:

• Seek medical care: Even a minor injury can have a devastating impact, you should be seen by a doctor or get to an emergency room as soon as you can to ascertain the extent of your injury.
• Inform your employer of the incident: Anytime an accident or injury occurs while you are on the job, you should report it to your employer as soon as you can. There needs to be a record on file of what occurred to help support your negligence case.
• Gather evidence: Write down the details of what occurred while the accident is still fresh in your mind, and if you can either you or a trusted coworker should take pictures or video of the area where the incident occurred.
• Collect witness statements: Whether in your workspace or out at a client’s site, if you suffer an injury while working, it’s imperative to collect statements from anyone who may have seen the accident happen.
• Contact an attorney: Negligence cases are often complicated and require some amount of investigation. Hiring an experienced lawyer is an important step to receiving the proper amount of compensation for your injuries.

Even if you think your case may be eligible for workers’ compensation, your attorney may that you pursue a separate negligence claim against your employer and other at-fault parties.

Taking Legal Action Against Your Employer

Negligence in the workplace is a serious issue and if you suffer because of it, the chances are high that someone else will as well until those responsible are held accountable and changes are made. And no changes can be made unless you present your case to our qualified team.

In the State of Texas, employers are responsible for keeping their employees safe and they have a duty to provide employees with proper equipment and protection to get the job done and go home safely at the end of the day. When an employer fails in this duty, accidents and resulting injuries occur.

Acting On Behalf of a Family Member or Loved One

In the unfortunate event that your loved one cannot speak for themselves or is killed while working and their employer’s negligence was the cause for their condition, the State of Texas has laws in place for the family or dependents to pursue legal action.

This is a situation where speaking with a lawyer from Barrera Law Group LLC is essential. You may not know what steps to take on behalf of the victim, but we do. We can assist you in gathering the necessary evidence and documentation and speaking with the employer responsible for the negligence that has caused your family trauma.

Recoverable Damages After a Workplace Accident

Texas allows victims to recover both compensatory and punitive damages after suffering an injury at work. While the payout you receive won’t make your injury go away, it significantly helps reduce the stress and financial burden on you and your family while you are recovering. Compensation can be calculated for the following:

Economic Damages

• Lost wages, current and future
• All medical expenses relating to your injury (doctor’s appointments, surgeries, therapies, etc.)
• Loss of earning capacity due to severe injury or disability
• Death expenses (funeral, burial, court expenses, unpaid bills of the deceased)

Noneconomic Damages

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of a limb

We Can Help Your Case

Pursuing legal action after an injury due to negligence at your work can be a difficult and confusing process, but our team at Barrera Law Group LLC is here to help. We want you to be able to focus on your recovery while we handle the legal side of things to ensure you get the proper compensation owed to you. We will hold the negligent party responsible—you don’t have to do it alone.

If you or someone you know has suffered a work injury due to negligence anywhere in the Lone Star State, we’ve got you covered. Contact our Midland office today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. You deserve full compensation and justice for what happened to you at the hands of someone else.