Head injuries are one of the most common types of injuries workers suffer in workplace accidents. They can cause devastating changes in a person’s reasoning, concentration, emotions, vision, and physical abilities that can cause him to be unable to work—sometimes permanently—or engage in his day-to-day activities.
Unfortunately, many injured employees in Texas also have the added worry of working for employers who have opted out of providing workers’ compensation benefits. Many of our large employers—Target, Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, Lowes, and McDonald’s are a few—are non-subscriber employers who do not provide workers’ compensation benefits. Fortunately, injured victims may still be entitled to compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering under Texas’ non-subscriber employer laws.
What Are Common Causes of Head Injuries in Workplace Accidents?
A head injury is an injury to a person’s brain, skull, or scalp. Workers suffer many types of head injuries on the job, including concussions, closed head injuries, and traumatic brain injury. Common ways these injuries occur include:
- Motor vehicle accidents. When workers drive a car or truck for work, they are at increased risk of being involved in a vehicle crash. Construction, trucking, delivery services, commercial and residential cleaning, sales, home improvement and repair services, and home health care are a few of the many industries where workers must drive. Unfortunately, these accidents can cause them to suffer a head injury, sometimes with lifelong results.
- Slip and fall accidents. Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common causes of employee brain injuries. Virtually any job site can be a slip and fall hazard if spills, torn or worn carpet, cracked flooring, and other dangerous conditions are not repaired.
- Explosions. Some factory and construction workers are exposed to hazardous substances that could explode and cause a fire. When a worker is thrown through the air or debris hits his head, he can suffer a devastating brain injury.
- Construction. Falls and being struck by objects are two of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) fatal four, or the top four causes of construction workers’ deaths. These are also leading ways that construction workers suffer head injuries.
- Defective work equipment. When employees are injured while working with defective work equipment, a head injury could be the consequence. These employees may be able to pursue a claim for compensation against the manufacturer of the equipment as well as their employers.
Did you or a family member suffer a head injury in a workplace accident? Has your employer opted out of providing workers’ compensation benefits? Our experienced legal team has helped many employees like you obtain the compensation they deserve from non-subscriber employers. Call our firm at (817) 380-4888 to schedule a free, no-obligation evaluation of your case.
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