Industrial Accident Attorney in Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi Industrial Accident Attorneys for Injured Workers

Industrial work is demanding, dangerous, and often performed around heavy machinery, hazardous chemicals, high-pressure systems, elevated work areas, and moving vehicles. When companies fail to follow safety rules or cut corners, workers can suffer serious and life-changing injuries.

If you were injured at an industrial site in Corpus Christi or South Texas, Perkins & Perkins can help you understand your rights. You may be able to pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.

Your Legal Options After an Industrial Accident

You may have a claim if your injury was caused by unsafe worksite conditions, defective equipment, poor training, negligent contractors, or another company’s failure to follow safety procedures.

You should speak with an attorney if:

You were seriously injured at an industrial facility
Your employer or another company blames you
A contractor, subcontractor, or third party may have caused the accident
Machinery, equipment, or safety systems failed
You were exposed to gases, chemicals, fire, fumes, or toxic substances
You lost a loved one in a fatal industrial accident

Even if you receive workers’ compensation, you may still have additional legal options depending on who caused or contributed to your injury.

Free Consultation For Your Industrial Accident Case

Choosing the right attorney can dramatically influence your recovery. Perkins & Perkins has a proven record of success, including an $18.1 million jury verdict—one of the largest construction injury verdicts in Texas history. We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, so unless we win, you do not pay a cent. Contact us today to take the first step toward rebuilding your life.

Understanding Your Compensation Options

Industrial accident claims can be complicated because more than one avenue of liability and ultimately compensation may be available. Depending on what happened, you may have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party injury claim, a non-subscriber employer claim, or a product liability claim involving defective equipment.

Perkins & Perkins can review the facts, identify every responsible party, and pursue the full value of your losses, including medical bills, lost income, reduced earning ability, pain and suffering, impairment, disfigurement, and wrongful death damages when applicable.

How Liability Is Determined in an Industrial Accident

Industrial accidents are rarely simple. You may think the accident was your fault, or you may know another company or person caused it. Either way, liability should be based on evidence, not assumptions or pressure from an employer, contractor, or insurance company.

Our attorneys review what happened, who controlled the worksite, who built the worksite, what safety rules applied, and whether those rules were followed. This investigation can affect whether you have a claim, who can be held responsible, and how much compensation may be available.

Important evidence may include:

Incident reports:
Show how the accident was documented and whether safety concerns were noted.
OSHA records:
May reveal safety violations, citations, or investigation findings.
Witness statements:
Help explain what happened before, during, and after the accident.
Equipment and maintenance records:
Show whether machinery, tools, or safety systems were properly inspected and repaired.
Training and safety records:
May reveal poor training, lack of supervision, or missing safety equipment.
Contractor agreements:
Help identify which company was responsible for the work, equipment, or safety procedures.
Photos, video, and site evidence:
Can show worksite conditions, damaged equipment, and how the accident occurred.
Business and insurance records:
May identify the companies involved, confirm Secretary of State registrations, determine whether an employer carried workers' compensation coverage, and uncover related entities that may share responsibility.

Industrial Accident Cases We Handle in Corpus Christi

Industrial accidents can happen in many different settings. Perkins & Perkins represents injured workers and families in cases involving unsafe equipment, negligent companies, dangerous facilities, and serious worksite hazards.

Oilfields and Drilling Sites

Oilfields and drilling sites often involve heavy equipment, high-pressure systems, flammable materials, elevated platforms, excavations and multiple contractors working at the same location. Workers can suffer serious injuries when trenches or excavations collapse because of inadequate shoring or other unsafe support systems. Accidents may also occur when companies fail to maintain equipment, train workers, secure tools, or follow required safety procedures.

Refineries and Petrochemical Plants

Refineries and petrochemical plants can expose workers to fires, explosions, toxic chemicals, pressure failures, extreme temperatures, and complex machinery. Injuries may happen when companies fail to control hazardous substances, properly maintain valves, piping, or pressure vessels, follow lockout/tagout procedures during maintenance, inspect critical equipment, maintain safe operating systems, or provide adequate training and protective equipment. Fires, explosions, chemical releases, pressure failures, and exposure to toxic substances can cause severe burns, respiratory injuries, traumatic injuries, permanent disabilities, and death.

Manufacturing Plants and Factories

Manufacturing plants and factories often involve conveyors, presses, grinders, forklifts, robotic systems, electrical equipment, and moving machinery. Industrial accidents may occur when machines lack proper guards, emergency stop systems fail, lockout/tagout procedures are ignored during maintenance, forklifts are operated unsafely, or employers fail to provide adequate training and supervision. Poor maintenance, defective equipment, excessive production demands, and unsafe workplace practices can cause serious injuries such as crush injuries, amputations, electrocution, fractures, burns, and traumatic brain injuries.

Pipeline and Terminal Facilities

Pipeline sites, fuel terminals, tank farms, and storage facilities handle large volumes of oil, natural gas, refined fuels, and hazardous chemicals under high pressure. Workers may be exposed to dangerous conditions involving flammable vapors, toxic substances, pressurized pipelines, confined spaces, heavy equipment, and loading or unloading operations. Accidents may occur because of corrosion, defective valves, faulty welds, inadequate inspections, improper maintenance, over-pressurization, or failure to follow established safety procedures. Leaks, ruptures, fires, explosions, chemical releases, and confined-space incidents can cause severe burns, crush injuries, respiratory injuries, traumatic brain injuries, permanent disabilities, and death.

Warehouses and Distribution Centers

Warehouses and distribution centers are fast-paced environments where workers regularly operate forklifts, pallet jacks, conveyors, loading docks, shelving systems, and other material-handling equipment. Employees may also work around commercial trucks, trailers, and heavy inventory while meeting demanding production and shipping schedules. Accidents may occur because of unsafe stacking, overloaded or unstable shelving, poor forklift operation, inadequate traffic control, dangerous loading and unloading procedures, falling merchandise, defective equipment, or insufficient worker training. Workers may also be injured in loading dock falls, struck-by incidents, crush accidents, and collisions involving forklifts or commercial vehicles. These accidents can result in fractures, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and other life-changing injuries.

Shipyards, Ports, and Maritime Industrial Sites

Corpus Christi’s port and maritime facilities are among the busiest industrial worksites in South Texas. Workers may operate around cargo ships, barges, cranes, containers, heavy machinery, rail lines, commercial vehicles, and hazardous cargo while loading, unloading, storing, or transporting goods. Incidents may occur when companies fail to coordinate operations, secure cargo or equipment, inspect cranes and lifting devices, maintain safe walkways, control vehicle traffic, or follow established safety procedures. Workers can also be injured in falls from elevated surfaces, struck-by incidents involving suspended loads, confined-space accidents, equipment failures, and accidents involving forklifts, trucks, or other heavy machinery. These incidents often result in severe injuries such as crush injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and amputations.

Power Plants and Utility Sites

Power plants and utility facilities expose workers to high-voltage electrical systems, turbines, generators, boilers, transformers, substations, elevated heights and fall risks, confined spaces, and other hazardous industrial equipment. Accidents may occur when employers or contractors fail to follow lockout/tagout procedures, properly de-energize electrical equipment, inspect and maintain critical systems, provide adequate fall protection, or ensure workers receive proper training and supervision. Electrical arc flashes, electrocutions, explosions, equipment failures, confined-space incidents, and falls from elevated structures can cause severe burns, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, paralysis, and other neurological defects.

Industrial Construction Sites

Industrial construction sites combine many of the most dangerous hazards found in heavy industry. Workers may operate around cranes, scaffolding, steel structures, welding operations, excavations, heavy equipment, energized systems, toxic environments, and elevated work areas. Accidents and deaths occur when companies fail to coordinate safety responsibilities, inspect cranes and other equipment, provide proper fall protection, install adequate trench shoring, identify underground utilities, maintain safe work zones, or follow OSHA safety requirements. Workers may suffer injuries from falls, struck-by incidents, trench collapses, electrocutions, equipment failures, falling objects, and heavy machinery accidents.

Data Centers, Energy Storage, and Critical Infrastructure Facilities

Data centers, energy storage facilities, and other critical infrastructure projects are rapidly expanding across Texas as demand increases for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and reliable power systems. These facilities require complex electrical systems, high-voltage equipment, backup generators, battery energy storage systems, cooling infrastructure, fiber networks, and specialized mechanical equipment. Construction and operation often involve large crews of contractors, subcontractors, and specialized trades working together in environments where even a small safety failure can have serious consequences.

Workers at these facilities may face hazards involving energized electrical systems, arc flash events, electrocution risks, battery fires, thermal events, heavy machinery, elevated work areas, confined spaces, and high-pressure mechanical systems. Accidents may occur when companies fail to properly de-energize equipment, follow lockout/tagout procedures, coordinate work between contractors, inspect equipment, provide adequate training, or maintain safe construction and operating conditions.

As these facilities become larger and more complex, determining responsibility after an accident can require a detailed investigation into the roles of general contractors, electrical contractors, equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, facility operators, and other third parties. Serious incidents may result in severe burns, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, crush injuries, respiratory injuries, permanent disabilities, and death. A thorough investigation can help identify every company responsible for creating or failing to correct unsafe conditions.

Serious Injuries from Industrial Accidents

Industrial accidents can cause severe injuries, including:

Burn injuries
Brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Broken bones
Crush injuries
Amputations
Respiratory injuries
Chemical burns
Hearing or vision loss
Paralysis
Permanent disability
Wrongful death

These injuries can affect your ability to work, support your family, and return to daily life.

What to Do After an Industrial Accident

After a serious industrial injury, your health comes first. If possible:

Get medical care immediately.
Report the accident to your supervisor.
Write down what happened while it is fresh.
Take photos of the area, equipment, and injuries if safe.
Get names of witnesses.
Keep copies of medical records and work documents.
Do not sign anything or accept a settlement without legal advice.
Speak with an industrial accident attorney about your options.

Important evidence can disappear quickly after an industrial accident. Acting early can help protect your rights.

Trusted Attorneys for Industrial Accident Representation

Perkins & Perkins represents injured workers and families throughout Corpus Christi and Texas. Our attorneys understand how serious industrial accident cases can be and how much is at stake for workers and their families.

Clients turn to us because we offer:

More than 80 years of combined legal experience
A history of major results
A record-setting $18.1 million construction injury verdict in 2022
Free consultations
No fees unless we win
Personal attention from experienced attorneys

We handle the legal process so you can focus on your health, your family, and your future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue after an industrial accident?

It depends on the facts. If your employer has workers’ compensation, you may be limited in claims against your employer, but you may still have a claim against a negligent third party. If your employer is a non-subscriber to workers’ compensation, you may have additional rights.

What if my employer says the accident was my fault?

Do not assume they are correct. Industrial accidents often involve unsafe conditions, poor training, equipment failures, or negligence by another company. Employers frequently try to shift the blame to avoid liability. An attorney can investigate what really happened.

Can I still have a case if I receive workers’ compensation?

Yes, possibly. Workers’ compensation may cover certain benefits, but you may also have a separate claim against a third party whose negligence caused your injury.

What if defective equipment caused my injury?

If defective machinery, tools, valves, safety equipment, electrical systems, or industrial parts caused your accident, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer or another responsible party. Whether or not your employer provides workers’ compensation is irrelevant in the context of product liability claims.

What should I do after an industrial accident?

Get medical care, report the injury, document what happened, gather witness names if possible, and speak with an attorney before signing documents or accepting a settlement.

How much is my industrial accident case worth?

The value depends on your injuries, medical bills, lost income, future treatment needs, ability to work, and the impact the injury has had on your life.

How long do I have to file a claim in Texas?

In many Texas personal injury cases, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. Some deadlines may be shorter depending on the type of claim, so it is important to act quickly. However, it is highly advised to take action right away. Waiting even a few weeks can make a significant difference in your case by allowing evidence to disappear, memories to fade, witnesses to become harder to locate, and insurance companies more time to build their defense. Contacting an experienced Texas personal injury attorney early can help protect your rights and preserve the evidence needed to pursue your claim.

How much does it cost to hire Perkins & Perkins?

There are no upfront attorney’s fees. Perkins & Perkins only gets paid if we recover compensation for you.