Archive for August, 2014

Warehouse Accident Raises Concerns over Workplace Safety

A San Antonio warehouse worker lost his life in a mid-August industrial accident after a 3,500 pound sack of fracking sand fell on him. The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the San Antonio Police Department and the deceased worker’s company has yet to make a statement regarding the accident.

No matter how the accident occurred, the tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that fatal accidents can happen at the workplace in a moment’s notice. People who were injured or lost a loved one in a workplace accident should contact a San Antonio personal injury attorney to discuss their legal rights.

Workplace accident under investigation by San Antonio Police Department

According to ABC 12, the worker was killed on Monday, August 18 at a warehouse owned and operated by Chalk Mountain Services, an oilfield transportation company that specializes in hauling production, flow back water and fracking sand.

The article indicates that the worker – a man in his 60s – was spotting for a forklift operator when a 3,500 pound bag of fracking sand fell from an unknown height on top of him. Officials from the San Antonio Fire Department said bags inside the warehouse were “stacked about three or four high.”

The accident victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The company has yet to release a statement or any additional information on the accident, which remains under investigation by the San Antonio Police Department. The Bexar County Medical Examiner has not released the victim’s name or specific cause of death.

A closer look at on-the-job injuries in Texas

Just about any workplace can be dangerous. However, workers within the oil industry, warehouse workers and other physical laborers often face hazards beyond what many workers face. Common examples of injuries at these worksites can include broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, falls from a height or crushing injuries.

Workplace accidents can happen for a variety of different reasons. A poorly trained employee may not be familiar with how to operate equipment. Workers may be forced to work with poorly maintained equipment. An accident may occur at a worksite after an employer failed to comply with the directions of health or safety inspectors.

In Texas, the majority of workplace accident claims are handled by the state Workers’ Compensation Board. However, sometimes employers – and their insurance companies – will try to take shortcuts to avoid paying injured workers and may even demand employees to come back to work when they’re not completely healthy.

In other cases, a party besides an injured worker’s employer (a third party) can be held responsible for an accident. Injured workers may have a right to sue a negligent third party for damages relating to a workplace injury if that person or company created the conditions leading to a third-party workplace accident.

For those who have been injured or whose loved ones were killed in a workplace accident in Texas, it’s important to have an experienced workplace accident attorney on your side who can explain your legal rights and help guide you toward a successful outcome.

Contact a San Antonio workplace accident accident lawyer at the Herrera Law Firm. Call 800-455-1054 for a free case consultation.

San Antonio Traffic Collisions Caused by Red-Light Runners

A recent San Antonio accident caused injuries to one female motorist. According to News 4 San Antonio, it is believed the collision occurred when a driver ran a red light.  Motorists have a legal obligation to obey traffic signals, including stopping at a red light, in order to prevent collisions like this one. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to stop. If you or a loved one is injured by a red light runner, call a personal injury lawyer for help ensuring a claim for compensation.

Prevention of red light accidents is essential, as there are hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year that result from red light collisions. National Stop on Red Week is one part of the effort to reduce the number of red light running collisions.

National Stop on Red Week

The National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) has organized National Stop on Red Week with the goal of educating the public about the scope of the risks that go along with running a red. According to the NCSR, there are around 8,700 fatalities in intersection accidents each year.

The Federal Highway Administration has specific details and statistics on the number of people who are killed in collisions when a red light has been run. For example:

  • In 2008, 762 people died when they were involved in a motor vehicle collision caused by failure to stop at a red light.
  • Annually, there are around 165,000 injuries that occur when drivers do not stop at red lights.
  • In around half of all fatal accidents that occur when a driver runs a red light, the victim is not the person who failed to obey the traffic signal.
  • One out of every three people report that they know someone who was either injured or killed in a collision that occurred after a driver ran a red light.

So many people are injured or hurt because there are far too many motorists running red lights. The NCSR published a report on red light violations after obtaining data from 20 states. According to the report:

  • There were 570,122 red light violations recorded by traffic cameras on Fridays in 2013. Friday was the day of the week with the highest number of red light violations.
  • There were 439,323 red light violations recorded by traffic cameras on Sundays in 2013. Sunday was the day of the week with the lowest number of red light violations.
  • Around 1/3 of all red light violations occurred between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. During this time, there were more than a million red light violations recorded in 2013.

The NCSR has encouraged all drivers to Take the Pledge during National Stop on Red Week, which took place from August 3-9 in 2014. The Pledge is a promise to obey the rules of the road and not to go through red lights.

The Federal Highway Administration also has suggestions for other activities during National Stop on Red Week including:

  • Press conferences on the statistics about red light violations and related accidents and deaths.
  • School events where kids wear red.
  • Slides at movie theaters to encourage drivers to Stop Running Red Lights.
  • Political activism to convince politicians to impose tougher penalties for running a red.

Hopefully, activities like these will raise awareness and fewer red light accidents will occur.

Contact a San Antonio accident lawyer at the Herrera Law Firm. Call 800-455-1054 for a free case consultation.