HOUSTON, TX – Drive through downtown Houston on any given day, and there is a good chance you will notice construction. Be it on the highways or on the buildings, it seems like something is always happening in the city. Sadly, what happened on Friday was not what anyone wanted to see. Six workers were injured when a scaffolding on the side of a seven-story building collapsed. The accident was so severe that rubble was scattered along an entire block. The good news is that although the six people were injured, none of those injuries was… Read More
Liberty Mutual Research Institute published a fascinating study on the top workplace injuries. Workers compensation in just overexertion and falls accounted for $25 billion of costs this past year. Needless to say, this shows a significant danger in going to work each day. These are the top 10 serious, nonfatal workplace injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Academy of Social Insurance. 1. Overexertion $15.1B 25.3% 2. Falls on same level $9.19B 15.4% 3. Struck by object or equipment $5.3B 8.9% 4. Falls to lower level $5.12B 8.6% 5. Read More
Unfortunate Construction Death On December 23, 2013, the family of a worker who was killed at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against contractors who were in charge of the university’s $450 million endeavor to widen and modernize the stadium. Court documents filed in Harris County, Texas illustrate a gruesome scene on December 3, 2013 as twenty-eight-year-old Angel Garcia aided with the knocking down of a curved pedestrian ramp at the stadium’s northeast corner. Posted on the ramp’s fourth story, Garcia was using a small Caterpillar loader to capture concrete remains from overhead demo work. Read More
“If A Hammer Falls…” It is an unfortunate reality that construction accidents happen regularly. Whether its carelessness by workers on the site, improper installation of equipment or safety features, or just sheer negligence from the foreman or employer, everything can go wrong in an instant. While these accidents are usually unforeseen results of a sudden turn of events, this does not mean that there is not underlying liability and a party to blame. Whenever a construction accident takes place, it is important to first assess the immediate damages and casualties. Anyone who has been hurt or injured should… Read More
Did you know that Texas is the only state that does not require employers to provide workers’ compensation? Thirty-three percent of employers choose not to provide workers’ compensation insurance and leave nineteen percent of employees uncovered. Whether or not your employer provides workers’ compensation insurance coverage, you need to know more about how this affects your livelihood in the occurrence of an injury at work. Can I Sue For Damages After A Work Related Injury? The answer to this questions depends upon whether or not your employer provides this benefit. If your employer does provide workers’ compensation, then you will… Read More
According to KLBJ Radio, a 37-year-old Austin man died in a construction accident in Northwest Austin Thursday afternoon after a piece of heavy equipment rolled over him. The incident happened in the 6300 block of West Courtyard Drive near Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360) about 3:20 p.m. A trencher rolled down a slope and on top of him, according to police. The Loewy Law Firm has represented numerous people who have been seriously injured in construction accidents. Construction sites are very dangerous places and it is imperative that the owners, general contractors, and sub contractors focus on ensuring safety measures are in place… Read More
Recently, the City of Austin took the rare step of shutting down the Wood Ridge Apartments and telling all of the residents they could no longer live there. The City did this because two weeks ago a second story walkway collapsed and the City concluded the entire structure was unsafe. Thankfully, to this point, no one has gotten hurt but obviously if a second story walkway collapsed with people on it, there is a strong likelihood people would be seriously hurt and die. In the event someone got hurt on a walkway collapse, who would be responsible? The short answer… Read More
