There are some really important things you should know about Texas workers’ compensation. Accidents never come informed. You might be working through your regular day at work and an accident hits you out of nowhere. When you become a victim of a serious injury, there are several ways it could make you suffer. However, knowing what you can do will help you cope with it efficiently. Texas workers’ compensation protects your rights and gets you compensation for the losses you face due to an injury you sustain at work.
What Is Texas Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation is almost like medical insurance. Whenever you get into an accident at work, you are entitled to a compensation sum for it. This sum varies depending on your injuries, treatment, wage loss, and much more. Most people don’t know what exactly the worker’s compensation covers. Not knowing, they don’t file a claim for the amount they deserve and settle for way less. Well, to their surprise, Texas workers’ compensation actually covers far more than just basic medical bills.
To be able to receive workers’ comp benefits, it is important for your employer to have a workers’ compensation insurance policy under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act. You must know your state’s law for workers’ compensation because the rules and regulations vary from state to state. However, the principles that are applied are general and the same across the board.
Why Is Workers’ Compensation Important?
Workers’ compensation protects the rights of the workers. Having this gives employees the support they need so they are able to work stress-free. It not only benefits the employees but also helps employers by providing them defense against claims of:
- Contributory negligence
- Assumption of risk
- Co-worker negligence
- “Last clear chance”
Without the Texas workers’ compensation, a business owner is responsible for the cost that a worker bears due to the accident if they file a personal injury lawsuit. Even if the employee might be at fault, the owner will have to compensate for the employee’s loss. So, this policy reserves the owner’s rights too.
Texas Workers’ Compensation Rights:
If you work in a place where there is a workers’ compensation policy and you sustain injuries at work, the law protects your rights to:
Receive Benefits
Being the employee of a company with Texas workers’ compensation, you will receive compensation for treatment, lost wages, and medical bills. However, you also need to meet the mandatory requirements stated by the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC).
Keep Your Claim Confidential
You have to right to keep your claim private from anyone other than your employer, insurance carrier, or TDI-DWC. Basically, your employee might not be allowed to share the information of the claims with other employees or coworkers.
Hire an Attorney
When you get in an accident at the workplace, getting legal guidance is essential. This is because there are many legal responsibilities that you may not be able to handle on your own. Some of these responsibilities include informing your employer about your injuries, collecting medical documentation, sending your claim form to the TDI-DWC in time, and providing pertinent information to the TDI-DWC and insurance carrier.
Hiring an attorney can let you recover in peace while your attorney handles all the legal matters. They can take the weight of worry off your back. Your attorney will ensure that the claim is processed swiftly, accurately, and successfully.
Texas Workers’ Compensation Regulations:
The regulations of TDI-DWC decide who is eligible to receive the benefits and who isn’t. Usually, the workers’ compensation covers the injured workers and eligible family members considering the severity of the injury and that it’s work-related. However, sometimes there might be exceptions depending on:
- Who caused the injury
- What caused the injury
- When the injury was sustained
- Where the injury took place
- How the injury occurred
Convincing your employers for the eligibility of workers’ compensation benefits can be easy or difficult depending on the above-mentioned circumstances of the injury.
Seeking Legal Guidance:
Texas workers’ compensation laws aim to provide wholesome protection to its employees. This is why the law isn’t rigid and keeps evolving. It can be very difficult for an individual to keep up with the changes. Hiring an experienced attorney to seek legal guidance can provide you with great assistance. A workplace injury lawyer will ensure a successful compensation claim.
We have been helping out many workers to claim compensation effectively. Whether it’s collecting the details of the accident or filing a lawsuit, our expert lawyers will do everything for you. You can contact us via phone or get in touch online to get a free consultation today!