Industrial Accident Lawyer – Protecting Seriously Injured Workers Nationwide
When an industrial accident changes your life forever, you need more than just any lawyer — you need proven experience and results.
For over 40 years, I have represented victims of catastrophic industrial accidents across Texas and the United States from a scaffolding collapse (TBI), to a run-away chemical mixing vessel explosion (death) to a backhoe defect crushing injury (death), to falling drill pipe (death), to falling oilfield equipment (traumatic amputation), to industrial toxic fume exposure (death), to tire mounting explosions deaths, to industrial diving accident (drowning) and many more serious life changing injury and tragic death cases over the last four decades. I am Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1988, a distinction held by less than 2% of Texas attorneys. Early in my career, I served as an attorney for the Supreme Court of Texas. Over the decades, as a trial lawyer I have assemebled a legal team of other trial lawyers and we have recovered $100’s of Millions for injured workers and their families in cases involving oilfield explosions, chemical burns, product failures, plant disasters, and other devastating workplace, construction and industrial incidents.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an industrial accident, my office can help — No Fee or Expenses Ever Charged, Unless We Win Your Case.
Understanding Industrial Accident Cases
Industrial accidents are among the most dangerous workplace incidents, often resulting in life-altering injuries or death. These events can happen in oilfields, while moving industrial equipment on trucks involved in accidents, in refineries, factories, chemical plant, pipelines, overhead crane operations, construction sites, or any large-scale industrial setting. In many cases, multiple employers and contractors are working side by side, making the investigation more complex and increasing the risk that critical safety steps are skipped. It’s essential to understand the dynamics of these cases and why they require experienced legal handling from day one. Without rapid investigation, critical details such as equipment condition, safety violations, and witness statements can be lost — weakening your case before it even begins.
These cases typically involve:
- Complex worksites with multiple contractors, subcontractors, and equipment manufacturers
- Hazardous materials such as flammable chemicals, high-voltage electrical lines, or pressurized gas
- Heavy machinery like cranes, forklifts, and oil drilling rigs that can cause catastrophic harm
- Regulatory oversight from OSHA, MSHA, and industry-specific safety standards
- Falls and Struck by Falling Objects – Open holes, no catch nets, no barricade or overhead protection
- Crane Collapses and Mishaps – Rigging errors, lift failures, operator error and structural failure
- Caught and Crushed by Machinery – Loading dock, Forklift and conveyor belt injuries
- Oilwell and Rig Explosions and Accidents from blowouts falling objects and fracking
- Scaffolding Collapses – Faulty assembly, overloaded platforms
- Ladder Collapse / Failure – We have
- Welding and Hot Work Explosions – Sparks igniting flammable vapors
- Falls Through Skylights or Floor Openings – Inadequate guarding, no barricades or covers
Because of the complexity and the stakes, these claims require a lawyer who understands both the technical side of industrial work and the legal strategies needed to prove negligence.
Common Causes of Industrial Accidents
Every industrial accident has its own chain of events — and most of them are preventable. When safety standards are ignored or shortcuts are taken to save time and money, workers pay the price. Understanding the most frequent causes helps identify the negligent acts that led to the injuries. By pinpointing the cause, we can target the responsible parties and demand full accountability. Our team investigates beyond the obvious, looking at training records, maintenance logs, and safety protocols to find the root cause and prove where the system failed.
Some of the most common include:
- Explosions & Fires – Plant explosions, oilfield well site blowouts, compressor station fires, and grain elevator dust explosions can cause mass casualties and multi-million-dollar property damage. Even those who survive often face severe burns, lung damage, or amputations.
- Equipment & Machinery Failures – When cranes collapse, forklifts overturn, or heavy equipment collides with workers, the results are often fatal. Many of these cases involve defective machinery or negligent maintenance.
- Structural Failures – Scaffolding collapses, trench cave-ins, and failing support beams are preventable with proper engineering and oversight. When corners are cut, workers pay the price.
- Electrical & Arc Flash Injuries – Contact with overhead power lines, arc flashes, and faulty electrical systems cause some of the most severe burns and fatalities in industrial settings.
- Toxic Chemical Exposures – Long-term or acute exposure to hazardous chemicals can lead to chronic illnesses, including cancer, respiratory failure, or permanent organ damage.
- Operator Error or Negligence – Often the operator is untrained or certified on the equipment and life ending accidents happen to others.
Types of Catastrophic injuries in Industrial Accidents
The injuries that result from industrial accidents are rarely minor. They often leave victims with permanent disabilities, disfigurement, or the need for lifelong medical care. These cases require attorneys who can not only prove liability but also accurately measure the full cost of the harm over a lifetime. That means working closely with medical experts, life-care planners, and economists to ensure the settlement or verdict accounts for every current and future need — from surgeries to in-home care to the loss of the ability to work.
Some examples include:
- Severe burns (thermal, chemical, electrical)
- Amputations
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Crushed limbs and orthopedic trauma
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Respiratory damage from inhaling toxic fumes
- Wrongful death
Who Can Be Held Liable in an Industrial Accident?
One of the most challenging aspects of industrial accident litigation is identifying every party whose negligence contributed to the event. Many worksites have layers of contractors, subcontractors, and equipment providers, all with overlapping responsibilities. Holding each of them accountable is often the only way to ensure full recovery for the victim and to prevent future accidents from happening to others.
This often involves pursuing multiple claims at once, each with its own legal theory and set of evidence requirements.
Potential defendants can include:
- Employers (in non-workers’ comp or gross negligence cases)
- Third-party contractors and subcontractors
- Equipment and machinery manufacturers (product liability)
- Property owners
- Utility companies
- Maintenance providers
Proving Negligence in Industrial Accident Cases
Winning an industrial accident case isn’t just about knowing who was at fault — it’s about proving it in a way that will stand up in court. This often requires detailed investigations, expert testimony, and extensive document review. The more comprehensive the evidence, the stronger your bargaining power becomes. Our team of trial lawyers build injury cases ready for trial, layer by layer, anticipating defense arguments so we can dismantle them before they reach the jury.
To succeed in these cases, you must prove:
- Duty of Care – The defendant had an obligation to follow safety regulations and prevent harm.
- Breach of Duty – They failed to meet that obligation through negligence, recklessness, or violation of safety standards.
- Causation – The breach directly caused the accident and your injuries.
- Damages – You suffered measurable losses (medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability).
Compensation Available in Industrial Accident Cases
The financial impact of an industrial accident can be devastating, not just in immediate medical costs, but in long-term income loss, future treatment, and changes to a family’s quality of life. We fight to ensure that every category of damage is pursued, leaving no money on the table. Settlements must reflect not only the past but also the decades of care, therapy, and loss that may follow a catastrophic injury.
Victims of industrial accidents may be entitled to:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of the Enjoyment of Life
- Loss of Companionship
- Loss of Consortium (spousal damages)
- Disfigurement and physical impairment
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium for spouses
- Funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death cases
- Punitive damages in cases of gross negligence
Why Industrial Accident Cases Require Immediate Action
Time is the enemy in industrial accident cases. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that vital evidence will disappear or be altered. Companies often move quickly to repair equipment, clean the site, and get operations running again, making it difficult to piece together what really happened if you delay. Our firm acts immediately — sending preservation letters, photographing the site, and securing expert inspections — because once evidence is gone, it may be gone forever.
In many industrial accident cases, while you or your loved one is in the hospital or recovering from your injuries critical evidence can be “lost”, altered or destroyed.
- Accident scenes are cleaned or rebuilt
- Damaged equipment is repaired or destroyed
- Witnesses’ memories fade
- Safety logs are “updated” or altered
My Proven Track Record in Industrial Accident Litigation
Not all lawyers have the same level of experience in handling large-scale industrial accident claims. My decades of work in this field have given me insight into the tactics companies and insurers use to avoid paying victims what they deserve. I’ve seen every delay tactic, every attempt to shift blame, and every strategy used to minimize compensation — and I know how to counter them.
Over the past 40+ years, I have:
- Successfully represented workers in oilfield explosions, tire shop explosions, refinery explosions, refinery fires, and crane lift failure cases
- Secured hundreds of millions in settlements and verdicts for injured clients
- Been recognized for my Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1988.
- Served as a former attorney for the Supreme Court of Texas
- Worked alongside some of the nation’s top experts in engineering, metallurgy, safety compliance, and accident reconstruction
How We Handle Industrial Accident Cases
Industrial accident cases require a disciplined, methodical approach from day one. Every step — from the initial phone call to the final verdict — can influence the outcome. Our team approaches every case as if it will go to trial, which often results in stronger settlements because the opposition knows we are prepared to win in court. We don’t wait for the defense to dictate the pace — we drive the case forward to keep pressure on the other side.
Our process includes:
- Free Case Evaluation – No obligation review of your accident and injuries
- Immediate Investigation – Site visits, witness interviews, evidence preservation
- Expert Analysis – Working with industry specialists to determine cause and fault
- Aggressive Litigation – Filing suit when necessary to force fair compensation
- Trial-Ready Representation – Preparing every case as if it will be tried before a jury
Your Family Deserves Justice — Get Experienced Legal Help Today
If an industrial accident has taken the life of a loved one or left you facing life-changing injuries, you can’t afford to wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses move on, and companies rush to protect themselves — not you. With 40+ years of experience, Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law, and a track record of hundreds of millions in past results recovered, I know how to take on powerful corporations and win.
Call 1-800-883-9858 now or fill out our Free Case Review Form to speak directly with me.
There’s No Fee Unless We Win. Let’s fight for the truth, the compensation, and the accountability you and your family deserve.