What options does an employee have when injured due to employer negligence?

Answer

First you have to be able to absolutely prove that your employer was negligent. The law of negligence is founded on reasonable conduct or reasonable care under all circumstances of a particular case. The doctrine of negligence rests on the duty of every person to exercise due care in his conduct toward others from which injury may result.
The circumstances of the negligent act are not explained here so therefore, it is not possible to tell if the employer was actually negligent.
However, you still have options. More personal injury attorneys will give you a free consultation. So your first option is to contact a few lawyers and explicitly define your position. Another option is to apply for Workers Compensation Insurance to pay for your medical bills. It's important that you apply for Workers Comp right away. It should be declared to your immediate supervisor that you have been injured within 30 minutes of the injury.
So, get your facts straight, apply for Workers Comp and interview a few personal injury attorneys.