Workplace injuries caused by employer negligence can have severe consequences for employees and their families. Every year, many injured workers turn to a McKinney workplace injury attorney for help navigating the legal and financial repercussions of an avoidable accident. If you’ve been hurt on the job due to unsafe conditions or negligence, it’s important to know that you have options. Here are the key steps to take after a workplace injury to protect your rights and begin your recovery.
Legal Steps to Take When Injured by Workplace Negligence
Taking action quickly after a workplace injury helps protect your health and legal rights. The following steps will guide you through what to do next, and how to prepare for a potential claim.
Respond Immediately to the Incident
Seek medical attention right away, even if the injury seems minor. An immediate medical exam protects your health and creates a medical record linked to the incident. Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible, and if you’re able, document the scene including photos and video and any hazardous conditions. When you’re feeling up to it, start a personal record of symptoms, treatment and time missed from work.
Contact an Attorney and Preserve Evidence
Hiring a workplace injury attorney early-on in the process can help avoid missteps and protect your rights as you navigate a claim. Your attorney will help secure evidence, collect witness statements, and identify unsafe conditions or employer neglect that contributed to the injury.
Know Your Legal Rights as a Worker in Texas
Under Texas law, employers are required to provide a safe and hazard-free work environment. If they fail to maintain equipment or ignore known safety risks, their actions may be considered legally negligent. Workers who speak up about unsafe conditions are also protected from retaliation, including being threatened, harassed, demoted or fired for reporting a problem.
Demonstrate Employer Negligence
Working with your attorney will enable you to find signs of neglect, such as equipment that hasn’t been inspected or repaired, safety violations, unresolved maintenance issues, a lack of safety equipment, and previous complaints about a workplace hazard. In some cases it will be possible to find multiple problems and a pattern of neglect that strengthens your claim.
Build a Strong Personal Injury Claim
Experienced personal injury attorneys work with clients to prove that an injury was directly caused by an employer’s failure to maintain a safe environment. This process involves linking the injury and medical records to the negligent environment and calculating damages, including medical bills and rehabilitation, lost wages and pain and suffering.
Experienced Workplace Injury Attorneys in McKinney
If you’ve been injured at work as a result of carelessness and neglect, speak with the attorney team at Lucé Law, PC. We provide workplace injury advice and representation for people across North Texas. Call (972) 632-1300 or request a free legal consultation today.
