Construction accident in Houston kills 1, injures 7

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that 1 person was killed and 7 injured when several cinder block walls collapsed at a dormitory under construction at Rice University.

Too many workers are injured or killed in construction accidents in Texas.  The cost of these injuries and deaths, are born by the innocent workers, their widows, and their kids, not by the construction companies, because the Texas Legislature and Texas courts have decided to protect the construction companies instead of the workers and their families who make the construction jobs possible, and have made it very difficult to hold construction companies legally responsible for their negligence.

To avoid responsibility to construction workers, the construction companies basically create a system or scheme to avoid paying construction workers workers' compensation benefits, health benefits, or benefits of any kind. 

The construction companies also have no incentive to monitor safe conditions at the worksites or ensure that the workers do not get injured.  After all, if the construction company have zero legal responsibility for monitoring work safety and practices, most of the time, they just won't do it.

The result?  Way too many construction workers injured or killed, terrible burdens are placed on their wives and kids, and the financial responsiblity is shifted from the construction companies who make profits off taxpayer funded jobs to the taxpayers and widows and kids.

Do you think this system is fair?  If so, why?  If not, how would you fix it? 

We appreciate any and all comments.

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