Texas has some of the most dangerous working environments in the entire United States. In addition to construction sites, there are oil wells, pipelines and drilling vessels, all of which can be very dangerous places to work.

This is why it is extremely important that employers in Texas make sure that their working environments are as safe as possible. If safety precautions are taken, employers can prevent unnecessary injuries to their employees.

However, in situations when employers are negligent and decide not to make their working environments safe for workers, serious injuries and lawsuits often result. In additional situations, other parties can also be liable for the role that they played in causing the accident or injury.

In an example of the latter, an oil rig worker who was injured while he worked as a rig hand on a rig near Beaumont, Texas, has sued the steel and structural manufacturing company that built the platform he had been working on.

The injured worker alleges that the accident, which took place in July of last year, occurred when a metal side step on the platform came loose and struck the worker on the head.

The worker sued the company that assembled the platform, including the steps, for negligence claiming that "[a] failure of a weld made by [the company] caused the step to fall and strike [the worker]," court documents said.

In his lawsuit, the worker is asking for past and future medical expenses and damages for mental anguish, pain, impairment, disfigurement and lost wages, and all court costs.

As you can see, employers are not the only ones who can be liable for accidents and injuries that occur in dangerous workplaces. If you have been injured on the job, contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you decipher if someone should be held liable.

Source: The Southeast Texas Record, "Suit alleges side step fell and struck rig worker's head ," 6/6/2011.