Monday morning about 70 miles east of Odessa, Texas, two workers fell to tragic deaths when a cable snapped on the helicopter from which they were suspended. The helicopter had held the two power line workers aloft to inspect a power line in Martin County. Investigators indicated that the cable struck the power line before it snapped. The helicopter landed safely. Authorities have not yet released the names of the two fatally injured workers. (Source: KRGV.com Channel 5 News, 8/5/13)
The Texas work accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC express their sincere sympathies to the family, friends, and colleagues of the two fatally injured power line workers.
Not All Texas Workers are Covered by Texas Workers’ Compensation
Contact our Texas work accident attorneys to learn more. We can be reached by phone at 281-369-4363 or online by filling out our contact form.
Contract workers in Texas are not eligible for workers’ compensation. But a worker might actually be an employee under the law, even if their title says they’re a contractor. And many Texas employers choose not to carry workers’ comp insurance. (Yes: employers have a choice. Workers don’t.)
But workers’ comp provides benefits in limited fractions of an employee’s income prior to an injury or fatal accident. The employee can’t sue the employer for additional compensation. So contract workers and their families actually could benefit from being excluded from workers’ comp, since they have the option to sue negligent employers for the FULL value of their injuries and losses. And failure to thoroughly inspect or maintain a suspension cable for safety could qualify as negligence.
Contact our Texas work accident attorneys for a free and confidential initial legal consultation if you have questions about the specific accident that harmed you or your family. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And we never charge you attorneys’ fees unless we WIN your case for you, so there’s no financial risk.
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