Worker’s Compensation in Texas is a state-regulated insurance program for employers. This coverage is offered to employees who are injured at work. The insurance also extends to employees dealing with work-related diseases or illnesses. It even protects participating employers from a civil lawsuit by injured workers. The employer and aggrieved employee reach an agreement that protects both from lawsuits, but wounded workers must receive some form of financial restitution or medical coverage.
Worker’s Compensation in Texas is not mandatory for all employers. In other words, all employers do not have to carry Worker’s Compensation, but they must have some form of insurance coverage and benefits for injured workers. For WC in Texas, the injured employee must file a claim with the employer or company he or she works for. The employer usually mandates that injured employers see company doctors before benefits are paid out. This is to protect the employer from false claims and unnecessary legal entanglements.
How much are Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Texas?
In Texas, the weekly benefit amount is 70% of the average weekly wage before the injury occurred. This, of course, depends on how much the injured employee was earning on a weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly basis. This only determines the exact financial amount that will be paid out, but it is 70%. The injured party will also receive benefits that will cover his or her medical costs, expenses, emotional trauma, stress, and related factors. Again, the guidelines and rules within Worker’s Compensation or another plan the employer offers will be the deciding factor.
The compensation also covers financial woes due to job loss. This includes past and future wages, as well as reimbursement for medical expenses that are incurred. The injured employee may also claim additional costs for physical rehabilitation due to injuries sustained. Texas employers even offer a form of fatality insurance with benefits paid out to surviving family members. If the employee passes away due to injuries sustained at work, his or her spouse and dependents will receive the compensation. Similarly, a person that covers funeral costs and expenses may also be reimbursed for the finances assessed and spent.
What limits are there in Texas Workers’ Compensation?
As with any form of medical or health insurance, there are limits on coverage. For example, emotional duress, anxiety, and stress are normally not covered in these plans. While they are undoubtedly related to physical injuries, they are not considered payable damages. Still, there have been cases in Texas in which injured employees did collect for emotional damages due to slips and fall at the workplace. However, these cases had employees that did not agree with the form of coverage offered to them by employers.
These employees hired attorneys and filed lawsuits against negligent employers. With Worker’s Compensation in Texas, this is not permitted since the employer and injured employee agree to keep all legal claims or matters out of their agreement. These are some of the essentials of state-mandated employer/employee insurance plans in Texas. There is more information available on the web for both company owners and employees that want to learn more about compensation for on-the-job injuries.
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