Houston Industrial Injury Lawyers. $25+ Billion Won.
Our Houston industrial accident lawyers represent workers, contractors, and families after explosions, fires, toxic exposures, equipment failures, falls, and other catastrophic incidents. At Arnold & Itkin, we’ve handled complex industrial claims across Texas and nationwide since our founding in Houston in 2004. From industrial accidents in Dallas to plant explosions across the country, we’ve represented workers facing some of the nation’s largest corporate defendants. Our attorneys have won over $25 billion for victims of negligence.
Severe burns, paralysis, brain injuries, occupational exposure, permanent disability, or wrongful death can place a family’s future at stake. The legal issues can differ based on the worksite, the companies controlling the work or equipment, the worker’s employment relationship, and the law governing the claim.
Call (888) 493-1629 now to discuss your case with our industrial injury lawyers. While you focus on recovery, we can investigate what happened and identify the parties that may be responsible.
We’ve represented the victims of industrial accidents involving:
Recognition & Client Feedback
Our trial attorneys have earned recognition over the years from respected organizations, including Forbes, Super Lawyers, The Inner Circle of Advocates, the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC), and many others. Jason Itkin and Kurt Arnold are members of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only organization limited to 100 plaintiff lawyers. But what matters most is the people we’ve helped.
Watch testimonials from our clients and read our Google reviews.
Industrial Accident Representation in Houston & Nationwide
Our Houston industrial accident lawyers have helped injured workers and families get access to care, counseling, and financial resources. We treat every client with dignity and respect while building the evidence needed to confront companies and insurers with substantial legal resources.
We handle industrial injury cases on a contingency basis. Clients don’t pay legal fees or litigation expenses unless we win a verdict or settlement on their behalf.
Fires, chemical leaks, and explosions can put everyone at an industrial site in immediate danger and leave survivors with life-changing injuries. Serious claims may involve employers, contractors, insurers, equipment companies, and other parties taking different positions about responsibility. Long-term medical needs, reduced earning ability, and the consequences for a worker’s family can affect how a claim must be prepared.
A Refinery Explosion Survivor’s Experience
One worker shared his near-death experience in a refinery explosion:
“I thought I was dead.”
“All of a sudden, it felt like a train just started coming. We felt the ground shake, and I heard this loud noise… It was literally like a war zone.”
He sought counsel from our firm, and our Texas industrial injury lawyers secured a result that provided for his long-term needs.
He had this to say about working with Arnold & Itkin:
“They have your back. They will go above and beyond. You might just be surprised in the end of what they’re capable of.”
- Chiedu Obi, industrial explosion survivor
Industrial Accident Investigation & Evidence Preservation
Industrial accidents can involve opponents with vast financial and legal resources. Their response may include teams of lawyers, extensive discovery, procedural challenges, and disputes over which company controlled the work or equipment. Injured workers need an industrial accident lawyer prepared to investigate the incident and confront that opposition without backing down.
We examine site conditions, safety records, training, maintenance, equipment, company communications, chemical exposure, and the conduct of employers and contractors.
Evidence at an industrial site can disappear, change, or become difficult to obtain after a serious incident. Medical documentation, incident reports, photographs, witness information, equipment records, electronic communications, and preservation demands can all become important to the investigation.
We also examine who owned the premises, controlled the work, supplied or maintained the equipment, employed the involved crews, and established the relevant safety procedures. Depending on the evidence, potentially responsible parties may include an employer, contractor, subcontractor, premises owner, equipment manufacturer, or another company involved at the site.
Some of our recent industrial accident case filings include:
- Representing worker blinded by toxic exposure at ConocoPhillips site
- Helping a Houston worker who was injured at work and then laid off
- Representing the family of an electrical worker who was killed on the job
- Suit filed for a worker who was exposed to hazardous chemicals in a tanker trailer
- Helping a construction worker seriously injured by falling pipes
- Suit filed in Harris County, TX, for an injured oilfield worker
In one of our most recent Houston industrial injury cases, we represented an electrician who was struck in the head by a hammer at a construction site. He fell down the stairs and suffered serious head, neck, and back injuries. Our trial attorneys represented him, and a Harris County jury awarded $6.5 million to help him set his life back on track.
Industrial Injury Lawyers with Houston Roots
Founded in Houston in 2004, our firm represents workers who spend their days or nights at oilfields, in factories, and offshore. These are the workers who keep Houston running, powering its refineries, shipping its goods, and building its infrastructure. When they’re hurt, everything is on the line, not just for them but for the families who depend on them.
We’re headquartered in Houston because it’s a major industrial hub. Known as the Energy Capital of the World, the city is home to oil and gas refineries, petrochemical plants, pipeline networks, rail yards, and port facilities along the Houston Ship Channel. Manufacturing, construction, maritime shipping, logistics, and warehousing support the local economy while exposing workers to hazards such as refinery explosions, toxic chemical leaks, heavy machinery malfunctions, electrocutions, falls from heights, and transportation accidents involving 18-wheelers and industrial equipment.
Industrial hazards also extend across Texas. Workers in the Permian Basin face dangerous drilling and fracking in Texas, while employees in Dallas and San Antonio’s manufacturing and construction sectors are regularly exposed to crush injuries, burns, and catastrophic equipment failures.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics documents hundreds of fatal occupational injuries in Texas each year, although totals and leading incident categories vary by reporting period. Transportation incidents, contact with objects or equipment, and exposure to harmful substances can result in wrongful death and serious injury.
If you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer in Houston after an industrial injury, consider our firm. Founded and headquartered here, we help industrial workers across Texas and nationwide.
Common Causes of Industrial Accidents
Industrial accidents can result from unsafe procedures, inadequate training, defective equipment, poor maintenance, hazardous substances, or failures by one or more companies at a shared worksite. Liability depends on the facts, the applicable law, and evidence showing how the incident occurred.
Common industrial accident hazards include:
- Improper lockout/tagout procedures during maintenance or repairs
- Unsafe chemical storage or improper handling of toxic substances
- Inadequate fall protection on scaffolding, ladders, and elevated work areas
- Insufficient training for operating heavy machinery or equipment
- Failure to inspect or maintain equipment and aging infrastructure
- Fatigue connected to demanding schedules or extended shifts
- Blocked or insufficient emergency exits that delay evacuation
- Unsafe confined-space or high-heat working conditions
- Defective machinery, electrical systems, or personal protective equipment
- Fires, dust explosions, struck-by hazards, and caught-in hazards
An investigation may identify an employer, contractor, subcontractor, premises owner, or equipment manufacturer as a potentially responsible party. A worker’s options can also depend on whether the employer participates in the Texas workers’ compensation system and whether a third party contributed to the injury. Our industrial accident attorneys evaluate those issues based on the specific worksite relationships and available evidence.
Where Houston Industrial Accidents Happen
Houston’s refineries, chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, shipping operations, and construction sites employ tens of thousands of workers who may face serious workplace injuries.
Industrial Worksites Across Houston
Companies with major operations in the region include ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron Phillips, LyondellBasell, Valero, and Dow. Their presence alone doesn’t establish responsibility for an accident. Liability turns on the conditions, conduct, equipment, and contractual relationships involved in a specific incident.
The 52-mile Houston Ship Channel runs through communities including Pasadena, Deer Park, Baytown, and La Porte. Workers along this industrial corridor may encounter flammable or toxic chemicals, pressurized equipment, high-voltage systems, heavy machinery, vessel traffic, and the risk of fires, leaks, or explosions.
Industrial accidents also occur at Port of Houston terminals, manufacturing plants in Northwest Houston, construction sites throughout the metro area, and logistics and warehouse facilities near I-10 and Beltway 8. Across these worksites, injuries often involve burns, crush injuries, toxic exposures, falls, electrocution, or explosions.
Houston-area data centers are industrial worksites built to support cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital storage demands. Workers can face high-voltage electrical exposure, arc flash incidents, falls, and equipment accidents. Data center accidents require the same careful investigation into training, electrical safety, equipment, contractors, and site control as other industrial incidents.
We’ve fought for workers injured in serious Houston industrial disasters. We understand the facilities, corporate structures, and technical evidence that can shape these cases.
Industrial Accident Results in Houston & Nationwide
The results below show the preparation and resources we bring to high-stakes industrial accident cases in Houston and nationwide.
Houston-Area Results
One of our most significant victories came when our team, led by Attorney Noah Wexler, secured a $154 million settlement for victims of a catastrophic Houston chemical plant explosion. This case involved more than 90 depositions and complex claims against multiple companies. It settled on the eve of trial after extensive investigation, discovery, and preparation.
We also recently secured a $61.5 million verdict against 3M on behalf of survivors of the 2020 Watson Grinding explosion in northwest Houston. The incident claimed three lives, injured dozens of people, and damaged or destroyed hundreds of nearby homes and businesses. Alongside co-counsel, our trial attorneys secured a life-changing result for 24 survivors.
Other notable Houston-area industrial injury results include:
- $77.5 million settlement for a Houston man who was paralyzed as the result of a forklift incident, achieved by exposing critical safety failures.
- $44 million jury verdict for a superintendent injured in a catastrophic crane collapse off Memorial Drive.
- $11.6 million verdict for a Houston worker who was partially blinded due to faulty equipment, achieved after the defendant initially offered less than $300,000.
- $8 million settlement secured on behalf of an offshore worker who was injured near Houston.
- $6.5 million for an electrician severely injured at a Houston construction site.
National Industrial Injury Results
Our results extend far beyond Houston. We’ve recovered $860 million for the family of a young woman killed by a crane collapse in Dallas, $411 million for a worker paralyzed in a scaffolding fall at the Phillips 66 Lake Charles refinery, and $357 million in the largest workplace accident settlement in Texas history.
Whether a case involves a plant explosion, crane collapse, or equipment failure, we build it through evidence, technical analysis, and trial preparation.
Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its specific facts and applicable law.
Trial Preparation for Serious Industrial Accidents
We’ve represented clients after major plant fires, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, and other catastrophic industrial events. Our firm has fought for workers from Texas and Louisiana to the Gulf Coast and the North Sea, helping thousands of injured victims and their families pursue the resources needed to rebuild. Trial preparation can include identifying every responsible party, developing technical evidence, taking depositions, challenging corporate defenses, negotiating with insurers, and presenting the case in court when appropriate.
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