Workers who are injured on the job in Texas do have an alternative to Workers' Compensation when they are looking for a way to pay their medical bills and make up for lost wages. When an injury is caused by defective equipment, it is often possible to bring a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacture and maybe even others in a court of law.

A Texas City oil refinery worker has done just that after being injured in an explosion at the Valero refinery in Dec. 2009. The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 16 in Galveston Country District Court, alleges that the blast was caused by a faulty boiler that failed to start. When the workers attempted to restart the boiler, it allegedly exploded, killing one worker and injuring others.

The worker has named the designer, installer and manufacturer of the boiler, Babcock & Wilcox designed, as a defendant in the suit, along with the companies Foster Wheeler USA Corp. and Jacobs Engineering Inc. Horizon Consultants Inc. which both provided consulting work and inspection of the boiler system. Additionally, two other companies that helped maintain and oversee the boiler and its operating system were named in the suit.

The worker is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages for the injuries he sustained, which included damage to his knees and shoulders, neck and lower back. Court papers said that the worker had to have surgery because of the injuries.

As you can see, many more than one party can be named in a personal injury lawsuit. Oftentimes, it will then be decided at trial which party is responsible for which damages.

It's important to keep in mind that in Texas, personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the incident.

Source: The Southeast Texas Record, "Worker injured in 2009 Valero blast files lawsuit against numerous companies," John Suayan, Sept. 24, 2011.