Most employers in Texas participate in the workers’ compensation insurance program and carry coverage that indemnifies them in the event of an employee’s injury or work-related illness. Generally, workers with medical conditions that directly relate to their jobs can apply for workers’ compensation benefits that will replace some of their lost income and cover their medical expenses.
However, many employees with financial challenges related to a job injury don’t file a claim as they should, sometimes because they think they don’t qualify for benefits. Workers who hurt themselves are among those who may think they don’t have a right to file a claim. They may not realize that fault doesn’t matter.
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system
The benefits available through workers’ compensation coverage are accessible to anyone working for a covered employer and injured while on the clock. The program provides no-fault coverage for employers, which means that workers won’t have to prove that a company did something wrong to qualify for benefits, and it also means that a company typically can’t use a worker’s mistakes or minor errors on the job to deny them benefits.
If somebody makes a timing mistake or forgets to take a step that would have prevented their injury, those errors may make them technically responsible for their injuries, but they won’t prevent someone from getting workers’ compensation benefits. Only in rare scenarios where companies can reasonably claim that a worker intentionally hurt themselves or violated the law prior to their injury will fault play a factor in someone’s benefits claim.
Learning the rules for Texas workers’ compensation benefits can help those worried about covering their costs after a job injury.