How a Galena Park Workers Compensation Attorney Can Help Your Case

For over 28 years, the Texas workers’ compensation attorneys at Carabin Shaw have served Texans injured on the job. Our experienced legal team can maximize positive results for injured workers in all common Galena Park industries, including retail, manufacturing, and construction.

To receive dedicated attention, call the toll-free number 800-862-1260 to speak to our staff in Spanish or English at any day of the week or time of day. Our team offers free case reviews and initial consultations to help you better understand your options before making legal decisions. To quote Carabin Shaw’s client reviews, our lawyers go “above and beyond to assist in solutions and reassure [you] that [you’re] not going through this alone.”

Most private employers in Texas purchase workers’ compensation insurance. If you’re hurt while working, you then report your injury to your employer within 30 days and make a claim to receive benefits through their insurance.

Under the law in Texas, employees have the right to receive the following types of benefits through workers’ compensation:

• Medical benefits to cover the costs of treatment by approved providers
• Income benefits for lost wages, physical impairments, or—in cases where injuries are severe—long-term or even lifetime supplemental income
• Burial and death benefits to replace lost family income and cover funeral costs

A key feature of this type of insurance is protection for employers: although workers are entitled to pursue benefits, they can’t sue their employers for injuries. Denial of benefits is also common, which might leave employees feeling powerless. An attorney can help you meet all requirements while filing a claim and assist with a denial appeal if necessary.

Unfortunately, insurance companies deny workers’ compensation benefits for many reasons:

• Your employer disputes the details in your claim.
• The insurance company decides that there isn’t enough evidence to show that the injury happened at work.
• Your injury is related to a preexisting condition.
• Your condition, such as a mental health diagnosis, isn’t covered by the insurance.

When you disagree with the reason for the denial, you need to file a strong appeal to the initial decision. Your legal team gathers relevant evidence and represents you in an appeal hearing. Your lawyers also help you file lawsuits to seek compensation for your work injury in Galena Park, Texas.

In Texas, employers aren’t required to offer workers’ compensation. According to the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), more than one quarter of all private employers in Texas opt out of purchasing the insurance. If you suffer a work injury and your employer doesn’t offer workers’ compensation, you can sue for damages instead. You might also sue if you’re an independent contractor who isn’t covered under workers’ comp.

However, you can file lawsuits even if you’re eligible for employer benefits. Consider the following cases for which an expert lawyer might recommend an additional lawsuit:

• A third party, such as the manufacturer of a faulty product, is partly responsible.
• Your employer is responsible for another illegal act, like harassment or retaliation, that’s contributing to your emotional distress.
• Your injury has damaged your mental and emotional health, causing conditions that your employer’s insurance doesn’t cover.

With a lawsuit, you can often recover more damages, including nonfinancial damages such as pain and suffering. A lawyer helps enumerate and argue for these damages. You also might have more freedom in where you can seek treatment.

Yet a lawsuit also requires you to prove that someone else’s negligence caused your injuries, which is a complicated task. For either navigating the workers’ compensation system or fighting for a meaningful lawsuit settlement, the expertise of Galena Park, TX, work injury lawyers like the team at Carabin Shaw is vital for a favorable outcome.