What Are Your Rights After a Workplace Accident in Texas?

An accident on the job can be devastating. You lose the ability to earn income at the very time that you have extra bills for medical care and other needs. So it is important to understand your rights and options for gaining the help and resources you need during this critical time in your life.

One of the most important rights you have is the right to consult a knowledgeable attorney. While you probably aren’t an expert on what to do after a workplace accident, an injury attorney who has experience helping victims of workplace accidents can help ensure you get the medical treatment you need and the financial compensation you’re entitled to under the law.

You Have the Right to Information

There are many factors that impact your ability to receive medical care and compensation after an accident at work, and you have the right to receive information about those factors. For instance, if your injury may be covered under Texas workers’ compensation laws, you have the right to know whether your employer carries workers’ compensation insurance and whether you qualify for compensation through the scheme. You have the right to understand whether you are considered an employee or a non-employee contractor who may be outside the workers’ compensation coverage.

If you are covered by workers’ compensation, you have the right to know which medical providers your employer requires you to use and what you need to do to obtain benefits. If your situation is not covered by workers’ compensation, you have to right to know about your other options for compensation under Texas law. 

You Have the Right to Seek Compensation Even if You’re Not Covered by Workers’ Compensation

The workers’ compensation scheme in Texas provides a way for employees hurt on the job to receive limited medical care and benefits to make up for a portion of lost wages. While workers who are not considered employees or who work for companies that have elected not to purchase workers’ compensation insurance are not covered under this scheme, they are still eligible to seek compensation through a lawsuit. In addition, when a worker is hurt on the job because of irresponsible behavior from someone other than the employer, the employee also has a right to file a lawsuit against that outside party, even if they cannot sue their employer for negligence.

Through a lawsuit, injured workers are able to receive much more compensation than the amounts generally available through workers’ compensation. While workers’ compensation often only includes payments to make up for some lost wages and medical expenses, a negligence lawsuit can provide compensation for factors such as pain, suffering, emotional anguish, and loss of enjoyment of favorite activities. 

This compensation can offset the losses that don’t have a direct economic equivalent but have a huge impact on the quality of your life. You can receive amounts to make up for suffering you’ve already endured as well as problems anticipated in the future due to your injuries. While a lawsuit may require additional effort because you need to demonstrate liability, the potential outcome for an injured worker is significantly more advantageous than when they are restricted to workers’ compensation benefits.

You Have the Right to Seek Compensation Even if Your Job is Not Considered Dangerous

Many workplaces are notorious for the number of on-the-job injuries suffered by workers. Construction sites, warehouses, factories, and many other locations are often the sites of workplace injuries because many jobs on those sites are inherently dangerous.

However, workers in the Houston area are hurt all the time while performing jobs that are no more risky than most other types of work. In an effort to keep costs down, businesses frequently allow dangerous conditions to exist in offices, stores, and other ordinary work sites. If you are injured because your boss or the owner of the property where you work was negligent in maintaining the premises or equipment used in your job, you could have a legal right to seek compensation for your losses regardless of whether your job was dangerous. For instance, administrative workers have suffered debilitating injuries while trying to reach for files that were not stored safely or even by sitting in a broken desk chair that collapsed underneath them.

You Have the Right to a Safe Workplace

It is important for all workers to understand that the reason they have the right to seek compensation after an injury on the job is that they deserve to be treated with respect, and that includes the right to work in a safe environment. When that right is violated, and safety standards are ignored, businesses can be held liable for the harm that workers suffer as a result.

At DeKeyzer Law, we frequently see the catastrophic injuries that result when companies put profits ahead of people, and we fight to get injured workers compensation to make up for past losses, meet future needs, and provide a sense of justice for the damage to the life of the worker and their family. Even when an employer has workers’ compensation insurance, if a workplace accident results in death, loved ones may be able to file a lawsuit to seek justice and compensation to provide for the future.

Exercise Your Right to Talk to an Attorney About Your Workplace Accident

Many times, injured workers and their families are not certain about what to do after an injury on the job. The procedures for seeking medical care can differ depending on whether the situation is covered by workers’ compensation. The quickest way to get answers and the assistance you need is to contact a dedicated injury attorney.

At DeKeyzer Law, if we are unable to help in your situation, we will direct you to others who may be able to provide what you need. Holland and Meagan DeKeyzer work to help those who are injured due to the negligence of others, and we have seen the devastation that results when a workplace is not safe. We want to do whatever we can to assist in this difficult situation.

After a workplace accident, it is important to act quickly to get a thorough medical exam and treatment and to preserve evidence about the causes of the accident. Allow us to assist in the process. For a free case evaluation and consultation, call us at 713-904-4004 or contact us through our website now.