Austin Workplace Injury Lawyer

If you are injured in an on-the-job accident, you need to speak to a personal injury attorney immediately. Unlike other types of injury claims, on-the-job injuries are affected by the Texas Worker’s Compensation Statutes, and therefore have different rules. Unfortunately, you may unwittingly prejudice yourself and ruin potential claims by accepting different types of benefits your employer offers. If you think your employer was negligent in creating the danger that injured you, do not accept the benefits until you have spoken to a lawyer.

In Texas, on-the-job injuries can be handled in two ways. If your employer has official workers’ compensation insurance, then the claim is governed by the Texas Workers’ Compensation system. We do not handle these cases, but we can refer you to lawyers who work in this area. If your employer does not have workers’ compensation insurance, then you are free to file a normal civil claim. Our Austin workplace injury lawyer can help with those claims, and the information below applies to those claims.

Your Rights As a Worker

You have the right to take a number of actions, not all of which are listed here. As a worker, you can:

  • Ask your employer for information on emergency procedures
  • Get proper safety training when required to handle toxic substances
  • Learn how to follow an emergency plan in the event of an incident
  • Ask an Area Director to investigate dangerous conditions/violations at your jobsite
  • Have your name withheld if you file a complaint
  • Receive information from OSHA if you have filed a complaint and take part in an informal review of any decisions not to issue a citation or to conduct an inspection
  • Have a worker’s representative walk with an OSHA compliance officer on inspections
  • Object to any abatement period issued in a citation to your employer

Our Austin attorney could explain your rights concerning workplace injuries.

What Are Common Construction Site Hazards and Resulting Injuries?

Construction sites present layered risks that go beyond ordinary workplace injuries. Many sites expose workers to elevated areas, moving machinery, unstable ground conditions, and partially completed structures. Falls from scaffolding or unguarded edges remain one of the leading causes of serious harm, particularly on multi-story commercial projects and high-rise buildings. Crane and hoist accidents often involve dropped loads or equipment failures, and trench collapses frequently result from improper shoring or ignored excavation standards.

These incidents often result in catastrophic injuries, including:

Many of these conditions require emergency surgery, extended hospitalization, and long-term rehabilitation, with lasting effects on a worker’s ability to return to work. In addition to physical injuries, workers may face lost income, diminished earning capacity, and ongoing medical costs that extend well beyond initial treatment. Our Austin lawyer could help you seek compensation for the losses resulting from your workplace accident.

When Construction Injuries Go Beyond Workers’ Compensation

While workers’ compensation benefits can cover basic medical care and partial wage replacement, they do not apply in every construction injury case and often fail to address the full scope of a worker’s losses. In the state, many employers are non-subscribers, meaning they do not carry workers’ compensation insurance at all. In other situations, negligence by a third party, such as a subcontractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, or site manager, may contribute to a worker’s injury.

Civil claims outside the workers’ compensation system may arise when someone ignores safety rules or fails to follow proper procedures and causes avoidable injuries. Examples include missing guardrails, failure to correct known OSHA violations, lack of required safety inspections, defective tools or machinery, or improper equipment maintenance. These cases often require a detailed review of site records, safety logs, inspection reports, maintenance documentation, and witness statements to determine how and why the injury occurred.

Timing is critical. Evidence on construction sites can disappear quickly as projects move forward, and civil claims are subject to strict legal deadlines. Even if you have already reported an injury at work to your Austin employer or have accepted initial benefits, our lawyer’s review of the incident could reveal whether additional claims are available and whether the responsible parties properly followed required safety and reporting obligations.

Call Our Austin Attorney for Guidance on Your Workplace Injury Claim

If you sustained injuries on a construction site, do not wait to act. Whether you are dealing with mounting medical bills, lost income, permanent impairment, or uncertainty about your next steps, Schuelke Law is ready to evaluate your case and explain your rights. Because we work on a contingency fee basis, you do not pay legal fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Let us apply our experience, resources, and local insight to your case so you can focus on healing and rebuilding. Call our Austin workplace injury lawyer today.