The short answer is No! Texas Employers are not required to have a Workers’ Compensation Insurance. But, if you employer does have Workers’ Compensation insurance under Texas law, you will want to make sure you are aware of all the rules and regulations governing workers’ compensation claims.
When someone gets hurt or sick on the job, they should not have to worry about how they are going to afford the medical care they need to get better. This is where workers’ compensation steps in to help. Workers’ compensation also allows people to receive a type of income that covers their disabilities while they are off work when they become injured or sick on the job. Texas is one of the many states that has programs set up for workers who become sick or injured on the job.
Most states make workers compensation a mandatory thing, but Texas is a little different. In Texas it is optional to carry workers’ compensation. If you are an employer that decides that it would be best to carry workers’ compensation on your employees, then, that employer cannot be sued if something happens to one of their employees. Texas workers’ compensation will pay all of the bills in this situation.
If you are a worker that has become ill or injured on the job or if your loved one has died doing their job then it would be best for you to find a Workers’ Compensation lawyer to consult with in order to ensure that everything is gone about in the best way possible.
There are a few obligations of the employee if an employee is injured while in the course and scope of their employment. This would include the fact that the employee must report their injury within thirty days of it happening and being diagnosed. The employer will then reach out to the workers’ compensation agency and the benefits will be paid up including:
- Medical bills
- Loss of wages
- Death Benefits and Funeral Costs, if needed
One of the main differences between typical personal injury case and a workers’ compensation is that you do not have to find negligence against the company in order to get your benefits. You just have to prove that your injury happened at work, while you were in the course and scope of your employment. This goes for illnesses that result from your work with an employer that had workers’ compensation as well. As long as the worker became sick from exposure to something toxic while working for that employer, then, they can receive benefits.
When an employee cannot work because of a sickness or injury they then receive what is called temporary income benefits this is to cover them until their full benefits come in. Being able to receive these benefits keeps people going when they cannot work.
If it wasn’t for benefits provided under the Texas Workers’ Compensation program, a lot of people would struggle tremendously when they become sick or injured on the job. If you’ve been injured on the job or become sick from work you did while employed by a company that Workers’ Compensation, then you need to reach out to Houston Work Injury Attorney Hector L. Sandoval today to make sure that you have a case that is legitimate and make sure that your case is taken care of in a way that is totally fair to you and your family.
Sandoval Law Firm, PLLC helps injured workers. Call (346) 347-7777 for a free and informative consultation!