Don’t let Texas’s convoluted workers’ compensation system stand in the way of the justice and support you deserve. At Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs, our seasoned attorneys are ready to stand up on your behalf and pursue the benefits you’re entitled to.
Take the first step toward reclaiming control of your future today. Contact us now to arrange your free, no-obligation consultation session.
Did you recently get hurt or sick on the job in Texas? There are wide-ranging consequences a work-related injury or illness can have for your life. Beyond the physical pain and psychological suffering you’ve endured, you might be struggling financially due to missed work and stressing over how all this could affect your future.
Unfortunately, unlike many other states, Texas does not require most employers to protect their employees with workers’ compensation coverage. That means securing fair compensation is a confusing and frustrating process for many workers here in the Lone Star State. But you don’t have to figure this out on your own. That’s where Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs come in.
As your trusted advocates, we are deeply committed to championing your rights and demanding the benefits you are owed. With more than 100 years of combined experience handling Texas workers’ compensation and injury claims, we are well-equipped to guide you through every step of the legal process. Together, we can confront these challenges and pursue the peace of mind and financial support you need to focus on your recovery.
Contact our work injury law firm today for a free consultation and case review to learn more about your rights as an injured worker.
What Does Texas Workers’ Compensation Cover?
Workers’ compensation is an insurance program that provides benefits for things like medical care, income replacement, and family support when an employee gets hurt or sick at work. It also provides burial expenses if a worker dies due to work-related injuries.
However, certain exceptions apply where workers’ compensation doesn’t, including if the employee:
- Intentionally causes their own injuries
- Gets hurt while intoxicated or engaged in horseplay
- Gets hurt outside work or while voluntarily participating in off-duty events
- Gets hurt by someone else for personal reasons not related to the job
- Gets hurt by an “act of God,” like a flood or hurricane, unless their job carries an inherently high risk of exposure to such events
In Texas, government employers and private employers that contract with government entities must provide workers’ compensation coverage. However, this coverage is not mandatory for most private employers in the state. The Texas Department of Insurance maintains several databases you can use to verify whether your employer carries workers’ comp insurance or has registered as self-insured.
Four key types of workers’ compensation benefits are available in Texas: medical benefits, income benefits, burial benefits, and death benefits.
Medical Benefits
Medical benefits cover reasonable and necessary medical care for your work-related injury or illness. This includes the costs of things like emergency treatment, hospital stays, doctor’s visits, specialist appointments, prescription medications, and durable medical equipment.
Income Benefits
Income benefits replace a portion of any income losses you incur due to a work-related injury or illness. They are further divided into four types:
- Temporary Income Benefits (TIBs) – TIBs are available when a work-related injury causes you to miss work for more than seven days. TIBs are 70 percent (or 75 percent if you earn less than $10.00 an hour) of the difference between your pre-injury average weekly wage (AWW) and the wages you earn after your injury. You can collect TIB benefits for up to 104 weeks after the eighth day of work-related disability.
- Impairment Income Benefits (IIBs) – IIBs are available if a work-related injury or illness affects your entire body. The length of time you can claim these benefits is based on an impairment rating from a medical provider. You can get three weeks of IIBs for each percentage of impairment. You can get up to 70 percent of your pre-injury AWW in IIBs.
- Supplemental Income Benefits (SIBs) – SIBs could be available after your IIBs end if you meet specific requirements, such as showing an impairment rating of at least 15 percent and proof that you’re looking for work. SIBs are worth up to 80 percent of the difference between 80 percent of your AWW and any wages you earn after your work-related injury.
- Lifetime Income Benefits (LIBs) – LIBs could be available if you have a severe injury such as the total and permanent loss of sight in both eyes or a spinal injury causing significant and permanent paralysis. These benefits can cover up to 75 percent of your AWW for life, with a 3 percent increase each year.
Burial Benefits
Burial benefits cover some of an employee’s funeral expenses if they die from a work injury or illness, up to $10,000.
Death Benefits
Death benefits help surviving family members replace some of their lost income when an employee dies due to a work-related injury or illness. Notably, spouses of first responders married on or after September 1, 2017, can claim death benefits for life even if they remarry later.
