An injury at work can mean time taken off work to heal, and time off from work can mean lost wages and less pay. Without wages or pay, many workers would struggle to keep food on their tables and their families in safe shelters.
The problem of workplace injuries becomes even more serious when workers’ injuries are caused by the fault or negligence of their employers. Negligence is a legal theory on which many personal injury claims are based and can form the grounds of legal cases brought by hurt workers against their employers.
Negligence, generally
Before discussing negligence in the workplace, it is important that readers understand what negligence means on a broader scale. Negligence happens when a person fails to act as a reasonable person would in a given situation. For example, a reasonable person would not speed on a freeway, so if a driver caused an accident while excessively speeding on a Texas highway, they may be alleged to be negligent for their failure to act reasonably.
Negligence at work
In making a claim for workers’ compensation under Texas law, the injured do not need to prove that their employers acted negligently. However, sometimes employers do cause an injury through their negligence, and when they do workers can suffer serious harm. In these cases, it may make sense for the worker to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim.
Negligence in employment can take may forms, including but not limited to:
- Negligent hiring
- Negligent training
- Negligent supervision
The failure of an employer to act reasonably in a given work situation can pose risks of injury and death to workers. When they do suffer harm, workers may have rights to pursue compensation from their losses from their employers through litigation based on their employers’ negligence.