Injured by Defective Equipment at Work in Houston?

When equipment fails on a Houston job site — a valve blows, a scaffold collapses, a crane cable snaps, a safety interlock does not trigger — the manufacturer of that equipment may be liable under Texas product liability law. This is a third-party claim completely separate from any workers compensation benefits you receive through your employer.

Under Texas strict product liability, you do not need to prove the manufacturer was careless. You only need to show the equipment was defective — in design, manufacturing, or warnings — and that the defect caused your injury. This is a lower bar than standard negligence. If a maintenance company serviced the equipment and performed negligent repairs, missed a defect during inspection, or failed to follow manufacturer specifications, they can also be held liable.

After an equipment failure, employers sometimes repair, modify, or dispose of the defective equipment before anyone can inspect it. This can destroy critical evidence for your claim. If you are physically able, take photos of the equipment, the area, and any warning labels or serial numbers before anything is moved. Request in writing that the equipment be preserved.

If the equipment has already been altered, your case is not over. Courts can impose sanctions for "spoliation of evidence" — including a negative inference instruction telling the jury to assume the destroyed evidence was unfavorable to the employer. Any OSHA violations related to equipment maintenance, inspection schedules, or safety interlocks also strengthen your product liability or negligence claim.

Report the injury immediately and document the equipment involved — model number, serial number, manufacturer name, and the name of any company that last serviced it. Photograph the equipment, the work area, and any labels or safety markings. Ask coworkers who witnessed the failure for their contact information. Request that your employer preserve the equipment in writing.

You can file for workers comp benefits and pursue a product liability or negligence claim at the same time. They are separate legal paths. The OSHA data hub can help identify whether your employer or the facility has a history of equipment-related violations. Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. A licensed attorney can evaluate both paths at no cost.