What Are My Options if I’m Injured at Work?

Suffering an injury while performing your job duties creates physical, emotional, and financial hardships that affect every aspect of your life. You face medical bills piling up, lost income, and uncertainty about your future employment while trying to recover from your injuries. Texas employers and insurance companies often try to minimize payouts or deny valid claims, leaving injured workers without the resources they need for recovery. 

Our attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner have spent over seven decades fighting for injured workers throughout Texas, and we know how to hold employers and insurance carriers accountable. Working with an experienced workplace injury lawyer ensures you receive maximum recovery in these cases.

What Constitutes a Workplace Injury?

Workplace injuries include any physical or psychological harm that occurs during the course of employment, whether from sudden accidents or gradual exposure to hazardous conditions. We know what qualifies as a work-related injury and when you have a valid legal claim:

• Accidents: Sudden events like falls from heights, machinery malfunctions, or vehicle collisions that cause immediate harm;
• Repetitive strains: Cumulative injuries from performing the same motions repeatedly, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis;
• Overexertion: Injuries from lifting heavy objects, pushing equipment, or performing physically demanding tasks beyond safe limits;
• Occupational illnesses: Health conditions that develop from prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals, asbestos, or other workplace hazards;
• Psychological trauma: Mental health conditions, such as PTSD, resulting from workplace violence, harassment, or witnessing traumatic events at work; and
• Aggravated conditions: Pre-existing medical issues that worsen due to job duties or workplace conditions.

Any injury that arises out of and in the course of employment may qualify for compensation under various legal remedies. Our legal team at Abraham Watkins evaluates every aspect of your case to determine all available options for securing damages for maximum recovery.

What Are My Options if I’m Injured at Work?

Injured workers in Texas have several avenues for seeking compensation, depending on their employer’s insurance coverage and the circumstances of their injuries. Each option offers different benefits and follows distinct procedures.

Workers’ Compensation Claim

Workers’ compensation provides benefits to employees injured on the job regardless of fault, covering specific categories of losses through an insurance system. Texas Labor Code § 408.001 establishes the framework for these benefits:

• medical expenses for treatment and rehabilitation;
• temporary income benefits while unable to work;
• impairment income benefits for permanent disabilities;
• supplemental income benefits for severe injuries; and
• death benefits for families of workers killed on the job.

Workers’ compensation claims typically prevent employees from suing their employers directly. However, exceptions exist when gross negligence or intentional harm occurs. Our attorneys oversee the claims process efficiently to secure benefits while exploring additional legal remedies.

Private Occupational Insurance

Many Texas employers opt out of the traditional workers’ compensation system in favor of private occupational accident insurance, which often delivers reduced benefits and gives insurers greater leeway to deny, delay, or underpay injured workers’ claims.

You may need to file a lawsuit against your employer to recover full compensation when private insurance proves inadequate. Our legal team reviews your policy terms and fights for the complete compensation you deserve.

Personal Injury Lawsuit

Employees can file personal injury lawsuits against employers who subscribe to private occupational insurance or maintain no coverage when negligence caused their injuries. Personal injury lawsuits often provide more comprehensive compensation than workers’ compensation benefits alone. Compensation you may recover:

• Economic damages: Medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and ongoing care costs that compensate for financial losses;
• Non-economic damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, disfigurement, loss of consortium, that address intangible harms; and
• Punitive damages: Additional compensation awarded when employers demonstrate gross negligence or willful disregard for worker safety that caused catastrophic injuries.

Our attorneys build strong cases that demonstrate employer negligence and calculate the full value of your damages. Don’t delay seeking legal representation. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 imposes a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. 

Third-Party Claim

You can pursue claims against parties other than your employer when their negligence contributed to your workplace injury, even if you also receive workers’ compensation benefits. Third-party claims are often filed against:

• equipment manufacturers whose defective products caused injuries;
• property owners who failed to maintain safe premises;
• subcontractors who violated safety protocols;
• delivery drivers who caused accidents on work sites; and
• maintenance companies that created hazardous conditions.

Third-party claims provide additional compensation beyond what workers’ compensation covers, including pain and suffering. Our legal team identifies all potentially liable parties and pursues every available source of compensation.

Why You Need an Experienced Work Injury Attorney

Workplace injury cases involve complex insurance regulations, employer defenses, and procedural requirements that can trap unwary claimants and result in denied benefits. Skilled legal representation makes the difference between inadequate settlements and full compensation. Benefits of partnering with Abraham Watkins include:

• we gather evidence documenting how your injury occurred and its impact on your life;
• we handle all communications with insurance companies and employers to protect your rights;
• we calculate the total value of your claim, including future medical needs and lost earning capacity;
• we negotiate aggressively for maximum settlements before resorting to litigation;
• we identify all available sources of compensation, including third-party claims;
• we meet strict filing deadlines that could bar your recovery if missed; and
• we represent your interests at hearings and in trial when necessary.

Insurance companies count on injured workers accepting inadequate offers because they lack knowledge of their rights and the true value of their claims. Our work injury lawyers intercede to ensure you receive fair treatment throughout the process.

Contact the Workplace Lawyers at Abraham Watkins for Help Today

Work injury victims should call Abraham Watkins at (713) 222-7211 or complete our online contact form for a free consultation with an award-winning work injury lawyer to get started on their claim today. 

Our firm has more than 75 years of experience helping injured workers obtain full settlements and securing billions of dollars in compensation for our clients. We work on a contingency basis to ensure no upfront or out-of-pocket expenses. If we don’t win, you don’t pay.