Can You Sue Your Employer for Negligence After a Workplace Injury?
No one expects to be injured on the job, yet it happens every day. When it does, employees often don’t have the knowledge or resources to advocate for themselves. This can lead to delayed treatment, lost wages, and high medical bills. Fortunately, you may be able to recover these costs with the help of a qualified workplace injury attorney. Here’s what to know about your rights, your employer’s responsibilities, and when you can sue for negligence.
Understanding Your Worker Rights
As an employee, you are entitled to certain worker rights under the law. This includes the right to a safe and hazard-free workplace, even for potentially risky jobs. You also have the right to:
- Refuse to do dangerous work
- Be trained in your language
- Access proper safety equipment
- Access records of previous injuries
- Report workplace hazards
- Report an injury you sustained
Furthermore, you are protected from retaliation after reporting hazardous conditions. Your employer may not fire, transfer, demote, or otherwise penalize you for exercising your legal rights.
Getting to Know Your Employer’s Legal Obligations
Companies and individual employers have certain responsibilities to their staff members to help keep them safe at work. Following these laws are proven to reduce the risk of accidents and decrease the severity of injuries if one occurs.
Here are just a few of these important employer obligations:
- Provide comprehensive safety training
- Display educational posters in prominent places
- Provide workers with free safety equipment
- Inform employees about chemical exposure risks
- Keep records of all workplace injuries
What Constitutes Employer Negligence?
In legal terms, employer negligence is the failure of a company to provide a reasonable or basic standard of safety to their employees. Whether the entire company has poor safety practices or it was just an individual supervisor who was careless during a single shift, the organization as a whole is still responsible for any injuries that occur.
Some of the most common workplace accidents caused by employer negligence include things like:
- Falls from heights
- Chemical burns
- Biohazard exposure
- Malfunctioning machines
- Fires, electrocutions, and explosions
- Caught-in accidents
- Crush injuries
When to Call a Workplace Injury Attorney
Getting into a workplace accident can be terrifying, and the first order of business is emergency medical care. This should never be delayed, since waiting can negatively affect your case later on. Once you’re stable, it’s a good idea to take the first steps towards holding your employer accountable for any negligence that caused or contributed to the incident.
To schedule a consultation with a Houston work injury lawyer, check out this site. You can get a free consultation to discuss your case and learn more about your legal rights. This can be extremely helpful when you’re already dealing with accident expenses.
If you or a family member were hurt at work, you may be wondering what to do next. An experienced workplace injury lawyer can help guide you through each step of reporting the accident, compiling evidence, and filing a lawsuit to help you get the full and fair financial compensation you deserve.
