Texas Workplace Injury Attorneys

Houston Attorneys Helping Injured Workers in Texas Obtain Fast and Fair Compensation

Making the workplace a safer place for Texans has always been a priority for the attorneys of Vujasinovic & Beckcom, L.L.P. In addition to our active practice representing Jones Act seamen, offshore workers, maritime workers, and victims of car and truck crashes, we also help workers injured on the the job in Texas. We represent construction workers, hospital workers like nurses and administrators, restaurant workers, agricultural workers, manual laborers, and workers in just about every occupation in Texas when they’ve suffered on the job injury or illness.

A glance at Texas’ recent workplace safety statistics explains why aggressive legal services on behalf of injured, disabled and killed workers in our state are so sorely needed. In 2005, Texas led the nation with 490 work-related deaths, up 12.5% from 2004. During 2004, 254,000 Texans suffered injury or illness on the job that led to time away from work, pain and suffering, long-term therapy and care, and financial hardship. Most of these deaths and injuries occurred as a result of the following circumstances:

Transportation Accidents

These included accidents involving truck, van and car crashes, as well as pedestrian accidents that occurred during the course of work;

Construction Accidents

Accidents and collisions on construction sites that involved construction vehicles and heavy equipment, including backhoe loaders, bulldozers, cranes, drilling machines, forklifts, graders, front loaders, pile drivers, tractors and trenchers;

Assaults and Violent Acts

Incidents involving homicide, rape, sexual assault, aggravated assault and simple assault in the workplace;

Slip and Fall Injuries and Deaths

Incidents involving falls from stairs, windows, on slippery surfaces and on construction sites;

Contact with Objects and Equipment

Working in plants, factories, warehouses, and other workplaces where dangerous machinery is used;

Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments

Excessive exposure to gases, chemicals and illnesses associated with breathing hazardous biological agents, chemicals, dust, gases, vapors, or fumes at work.

Fires and Explosions

Explosions and resulting burn injuries and other traumatic injuries that occur at plants, factories, construction sites and other workplaces.

In spite of the high rates of workplace death and injury in Texas, the personnel and resources at hand to inspect and enforce workplace safety regulations are almost non-existent, especially outside of the urban centers of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. In fact, according to a recent report from the AFL-CIO, it would take the Texas Department of Labor about 140 years to properly inspect all the workplaces in Texas – just one time.

Of course, Texas isn’t the only state facing this crisis. During the past six years, big business, insurance and their political allies at state and federal levels have colluded to make the laws of the land work exclusively for them, and against American workers. Across the nation, in nearly every industry, safety regulations have been relaxed, funding for safety maintenance and improvement have been cut, and companies have trimmed what they view as “frivolous” and expensive safety measures. State and federal government agencies with missions to enforce safety have had their budgets cut and watched their power to meaningfully enforce safety laws become all but nominal.

As the public arms of safety enforcement continue to wither through under-funding, under-staffing, and dwindling clout in the nation’s courts, many Americans must now turn to experienced attorneys in private practice to obtain their measure of justice and respond to the ruthless tactics of corporate America and the insurance industry.

At Vujasinovic & Beckcom, we work especially hard for injured workers and their families. We recognize that we are often a family’s only hope to avoid a lifetime of financial, physical and emotional hardships. We strongly disagree with the emerging mentality in business that if safety isn’t profitable, then it isn’t necessary. We work to reverse this dangerous way of thinking every day through aggressive legal actions and successful outcomes for our clients in the state and federal courts of Texas.

Many employers in Texas carry worker’s compensation insurance, which means (in most cases) that you can’t file a lawsuit against the employer to recover damage for your work-related injuries. However, employers in Texas who do not have worker’s compensation insurance are subject to claims for negligence, and if held responsible, may be required to pay for your injuries and damages. Likewise, offshore employees may not be covered by worker’s compensation insurance, in which case you may be able to bring claims against them under the Jones Act or General Maritime Law. If you are injured at work as a result of a third-party’s negligence or wrongdoing (for example, a contractor or subcontractor), you may be able to bring claims for negligence and damages against the third party.

In addition to helping Texas workers who’ve sustained traumatic injuries on the job, including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, dismemberment, and severe burns, VB attorneys also assist workers suffering from other conditions, such as:

Skin diseases or disorders: Including contact dermatitis, eczema, or rash caused by primary irritants and sensitizers or poisonous plants; oil acne; friction blisters, chrome ulcers; inflammation of the skin.

Respiratory conditions: Including silicosis, asbestosis, pneumonitis, pharyngitis, rhinitis or acute congestion; farmer's lung, beryllium disease, tuberculosis, occupational asthma, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypersensitivity pneumonitis, toxic inhalation injury, such as metal fume fever, chronic obstructive bronchitis and other pneumoconioses.

Poisoning: Including poisoning by lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, or other metals; poisoning by carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, or other gases; poisoning by benzene, benzol, carbon tetrachloride, or other organic solvents; poisoning by insecticide sprays such as parathion or lead arsenate; poisoning by other chemicals such as formaldehyde.

Hearing loss: Noise-induced hearing loss is defined as a change in hearing threshold relative to the baseline audiogram of an average of 10 dB or more in either ear at 2000, 3000, and 4000 hertz and the employee's total hearing level is 25 decibels (dB) or more above the audiometric zero (also averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 hertz) in the same ear(s).

When injury occurs on the job and your livelihood is affected, every legal option you have should be reviewed by attorneys experienced with Texas and federal workplace injury laws. The stakes are simply too high to miss this important step in obtaining financial security for your altered life. If you’ve been hurt at work, don’t hesitate to contact the Houston law offices of Vujasinovic & Beckcom. We offer a free review and consultation of your case. If we agree to take on your case, our fee is nothing unless we obtain results for you.

Library for Texas Workplace Injury Attorneys:

• Untangling Workers’ Compensation: Contractor vs. Employee Status   
  Description: One of the grey areas in workers’ compensation accident cases is determining if the victim was an employee or a contractor at the time of injury. Employers like to classify their workers as contractors, as this saves them having to pay for and provide workers’ compensation insurance. However, the employer does not have the final say about your employment status – you can fight their claims in court.
• Crane Construction Accidents Continue to Kill and Injure Texas Workers   
  Description: A string of recent construction crane accidents that have injured and killed Texas construction workers highlights the sorry state of crane regulation in Texas. In fact, in thirty-five states there is no state-level public agency handling crane inspections mainly because there is no license requirement to operate a crane. Even states governed by OSHA’s federal arm don’t receive adequate inspection or oversight of construction sites.
• Construction Workers Suffer from Workplace Injuries   
  Description: On the job injuries are a serious issue for Texas workers, and none more so than construction workers. In Texas alone, 486 workers were killed in workplace related accidents in Texas. For some workers, their troubles only begin with a workplace injury – then they must face the challenge of dealing with their employer, supervisor, and deciding whether or not they really want to report their injury at all.
• Response to Motion to Dismiss Case Filed by Nabors Drilling International Limited   
  Description: This document is a legal brief prepared by V&B responding to a Defendant's request to dismiss a premises liability case.
• Response to Motion to Apply Yemeni Law Filed by Nabors Drilling International Limited [PDF]   
  Description: This document is a legal brief prepared by V&B responding to a Defendant's request to apply the law of a foreign country.

Case Results for Texas Workplace Injury Attorneys:

• Company man in Yemen was victim of shooting rampage - Confidential

Web Resources for Texas Workplace Injury Attorneys:

• Lorandos and Associates

  Description: Lorandos and Associates specializes in litigation encompassing everything from business litigation to white-collar crime defense and employment law.

Vujasinovic & Beckcom P.L.L.C
1001 Texas Avenue, Suite 1020
Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713.224.7800
Fax: 713.224.7801