Austin Fall From Heights Lawyer

If you or someone you love suffers a fall resulting in injury or death, it is imperative you understand your legal rights. You should be entitled to compensation or payment of benefits. An Austin fall from heights lawyer can help you navigate the confusing legal system in Texas to get the money you need after your accident. The Loewy Law Firm is focused on construction accidents and fall injuries, and Adam Loewy has recovered more than $40 million for clients. When you need a strong advocate on your side to help you after a fall injury, our Austin construction accident lawyer is here for you.

Working at high elevations can be extremely dangerous for construction workers, window washers, and anyone else who has to work high off the ground. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) indicates that falls are the number one cause of death among construction workers, responsible for almost 40 percent of fatalities. Falls from heights can also cause spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, and many other injuries.

Your Rights After a Fall From a High Elevation

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has strict fall protection standards in place that are designed to help ensure no worker is killed by falling from a high elevation. Unfortunately, standards are not always followed, some employees are not properly trained, or equipment malfunctions.

Whatever the cause of a fall injury, you should be able to make a workers compensation claim if the accident happened on the job and your employer opted in to workers’ comp. Texas is one of the few states that does not make participation in workers’ compensation mandatory, so you will need to check with an Austin construction injury attorney about whether you can make a work injury claim through workers’ comp or whether you are instead eligible to sue your employer. When workers’ comp covers you, you can’t file an injury lawsuit against an employer, but you can get disability and medical benefits paid after a fall even if your employer did nothing wrong.

A fall injury can also entitle you to make a personal injury or wrongful death claim against non-employers regardless of whether you have workers’ comp coverage or not. You can sue manufacturers of fall protection equipment that malfunctions, or project managers or subcontractors whose negligence was the cause of your fall.

Getting Legal Help After a Fall From Heights

Falls are generally fatal when the vital organs are damaged or when the spine is fractured, causing the aorta to transect and stopping blood flow to the heart. A fall from a height of just nine feet can result in a spinal fracture that can result in permanent paralysis or wrongful death.

The cost of caring for your injuries after a fall can be high, and the losses caused by permanent injury or death can cause significant financial stress for individuals and families. The Loewy Law Firm will work hard to help ensure you are fully compensated after a fall occurs. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help you.