Did you get injured at work? You may be able to apply for or fight a denial of workers’ compensation benefits with the help of Gibson Hill Personal Injury. Houston work injury lawyers from our law firm have the knowledge and experience you need to get the compensation you deserve. Our legal team can help you through denied workers’ compensation claims, disability and lawsuits.
We encourage you to read our client testimonials and see how a personal injury lawyer can help you. Call (713) 659-4000 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We’ll work quickly and effectively to obtain the benefits you need.
Do I Need an Attorney for My Houston Work Injury?
Choosing to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer can avoid costly mistakes. Without legal representation, you risk missing out on the full compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.
An experienced work injury lawyer understands the complexities of workplace injury claims, knows how to navigate the legal process, and can advocate for your rights. A workers’ comp attorney can help gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and, if necessary, represent you in court to ensure you receive fair and just compensation.
But My Work Said I Don’t Have to Hire a Lawyer…
If you’re injured at work, your workplace insurer or supervisor may ask you to handle the injury in-house. They may also request that you manage the claim for damages without hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer. Your workplace may suggest that hiring a lawyer is unnecessary.
A workplace might try to convince you not to hire a work injury lawyer to protect their interests and potentially reduce their liability. Your workplace may want to control the narrative surrounding the injury, minimize the compensation they have to pay, or avoid negative publicity.
By discouraging you from seeking legal representation, they aim to maintain control over the claims process. They hope to offer a lower settlement than you might receive otherwise. With an experienced work injury lawyer advocating for your rights, you have a better chance of receiving fair compensation.
Why Gibson Hill Personal Injury Law Firm?
Though you may not realize it, not all workplace injury lawyers are created equal. Gibson Hill Personal Injury has been helping injured workers in Houston with their workers’ compensation and work injury claims since 2007.
Our legal team believes in treating each of our clients with courtesy, professionalism, and dignity. We keep an open line of communication with you throughout the entire claims process. When you choose [frim-name] to represent you, we treat you like family.
We are driven to provide compassionate, competent, and comprehensive legal counsel. Our team fully understands and appreciates the toll a workplace injury can place on you and your family. We will protect your rights and help you get the workers’ compensation you need to regain your life.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. Head to our testimonials page to hear from some of our satisfied workers’ compensation clients.
Types of Workplace Injuries in Houston
Workplace injuries can result from malfunctioning equipment, being hit by a falling object, falling from a platform, inhaling toxic fumes, and many other hazards. Accidents usually happen because of negligence on the part of the employer, business owner, contractor, or coworker.
Workplace Injuries Statistics
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 10,000 workers sustain an amputation injury every year. It’s a serious issue that can cause medical complications and long-term effects. Amputation of the arm, leg, foot, hand, finger, and toe is the most common on job sites.
Injuries Leading to Permanent Disability
Additional injuries that are painful and can lead to a permanent disability include a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and paralysis. Someone suffering from one of these injuries often requires lifelong medical treatment, resulting in expensive bills.
Depending on the type of equipment and materials used daily, workers also risk crushed limbs, electrical shock, burns, broken bones, falls, and exposure to toxic chemicals. Injuries aren’t always apparent. Some take time to diagnose, like mesothelioma resulting from a worker’s exposure to asbestos.
You are eligible for workers' compensation benefits if you were hurt performing a job-related task.
Injuries Commonly Occur on Construction Sites
Anyone working in the construction industry is at a higher risk of debilitating injuries or death. They perform dangerous tasks and work with a variety of heavy machinery that could create a life-threatening situation. You could suffer the consequences of someone else’s careless actions despite the use of safety equipment and gear.
When you step foot on a construction site, you put yourself at risk of harm from the equipment, toxic chemicals, the job site, or the actions of another worker. Causes of construction accidents in Houston often include:
- Unsafe equipment
- Lack of protection from falls off of elevated structures
- Tripping from materials or debris
- Missing guards on power tools
- Unsafe conditions
- Inadequate safety gear
- Unstable scaffolding, ladders, or lifts
- Improper employee training
You are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if you were hurt performing a job-related task.
You Have Rights If You Suffer a Houston Workplace Injury
Workers’ compensation laws in Houston and Texas allow injured employees to collect benefits from their employer’s insurance. You must sustain an injury while working to recover payments for medical expenses and lost wages.
Be aware that you are not allowed to sue your employer if they carry a workers’ compensation policy, but you can file an insurance claim with their insurer or representative.
Third-Party Lawsuits
Unfortunately, many employers don’t have enough coverage listed on their policy to cover a worker’s total losses. When that happens, you could pursue an insurance claim or lawsuit through a third-party.
If you were performing work on someone else’s property, you might be able to go after their liability insurance or sue the property owner.
You have options when you get injured at work, but you should check if your employer has workers’ compensation insurance first.
What Are the Benefits Included in a Workers’ Compensation Policy?
There are different kinds of benefits you may be eligible for with your employer’s workers’ compensation policy. Talk to a workers’ compensation lawyer from Gibson Hill Personal Injury if you need help navigating the workers’ comp waters in Houston.
Medical
Workers’ compensation medical benefits pay the medical costs for any necessary medical treatment of your job-related injury or illness. Payments for medical care go directly to your provider from your employer’s worker’s comp insurance company. You can only use these benefits for a compensable workplace injury or illness.
You can start medical treatment right after you sustain an injury at work. If your employer purchased workers comp insurance through a certified network, you must see a doctor they approve. Only under special circumstances are you allowed to seek medical treatments with someone not on the approved medical provider list.
If you decide you don’t like your initial doctor and want to see medical attention with someone else, you must seek approval from the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC). You would file a request, and upon approval, all parties would receive a notification of your medical care and treatment with a different physician.
Income
Income benefits replace lost wages resulting from your injury or illness. There are four types of workers’ compensation income benefits:
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD): TTD benefits are paid to employees who are temporarily unable to work due to their injury or illness. These benefits typically replace a portion of the injured worker’s lost wages until they can return to work.
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): TPD benefits are available to employees who can return to work but are unable to earn the same wages as before their injury. These benefits compensate for the wage difference and are usually paid until the employee reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI) or returns to their pre-injury wage level.
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD): PTD benefits are provided to employees who suffer permanent injuries that prevent them from returning to any type of gainful employment. These benefits are typically paid for the duration of the disability or the employee’s lifetime, depending on the severity of the injury.
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): PPD benefits are awarded to employees who sustain permanent impairments but can still work in some capacity. These benefits compensate for the permanent loss or impairment and are usually based on a predetermined schedule or a physician’s evaluation.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death benefits give immediate family members a portion of the victims’ lost income if they die because of a work-related illness or injury. These workers’ compensation benefits become available the day after the deceased’s death and get paid at a rate of 75% of the worker’s average weekly wages for up to 104 weeks.
The people eligible to collect workers’ compensation death benefits are:
- A surviving spouse;
- Dependent child;
- Dependent grandchild;
- Another eligible family member who was dependent on the victim; or
- Parents, if there are no surviving family members.
Burial
Burial benefits pay for some of the deceased’s costs related to funeral expenses. The maximum benefit available for a Texas worker is $10,000.
Additional Benefits
Along with compensation for lost wages and medical bills, you could also receive the following workers’ compensation benefits:
- Travel expenses: Reimbursement for travel to and from your medical appointments, as long as it’s more than 30 miles away from where you live and a closer option wasn’t available. You can also receive compensation for driving to medical exams.
- Vocational rehabilitation: If you’re unable to return to the job you had before your injury or illness, you can get training and assistance to find a new place of employment.
Choose a Houston Law Firm that Cares About You
Our Houston workplace injury lawyers take cases on a contingency basis. We won’t collect a legal fee until we settle your case or win a jury verdict. If we’re unable to resolve your case, you won’t owe us any money.
We also provide aid to prospective clients of workers’ comp cases. If you got hurt at work and want to know how to collect benefits or just need some legal advice, we’ll meet with you for a free case evaluation of your workplace injury to advise you on your options.
If you sustained a workplace injury and want to find out how Gibson Hill Personal Injury can help you. Call (713) 929-2620 for a free consultation to find out how one of our experienced Houston personal injury lawyers can help you.
How an Experienced Work Injury Lawyer in Houston Advocates for You
We have knowledge and experience in workplace injury law.
An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer will bring all their knowledge and experience to bear on your workplace injury claim. Our team knows workers’ compensation law, and we will make sure your claim is complete, accurate, based on fact, and supported by evidence.
We can help you avoid hidden legal pitfalls or beginner mistakes that could get your workers’ compensation claim denied.
Gibson Hill Personal Injury does the work so you don't have to.
Our workers’ compensation lawyers will answer the calls and write the letters. We will investigate your accident, gather evidence, speak to witnesses, gather documents, and more.
Gibson Hill Personal Injury will build a comprehensive workers’ compensation claim so that you can spend time recovering from your injuries and getting your life back on track.
We won't let them take advantage of you.
A contentious workers’ compensation claim can strain personal relationships and lead to a contentious work environment. Your supervisor or on-site HR specialist may tell you they are trying to help, but objectivity is important.
When you hire a workers’ compensation lawyer, you can remove personal feelings from the equation and let us do the work. We will make sure your workplace doesn’t take advantage of you. Gibson Hill Personal Injury can get you the compensation you need to move on.
We know insurance company tactics.
Insurance companies want you to drop your workers’ compensation claim against their clients. They make money by collecting premiums and denying payouts, and they will do everything in their power to protect their bottom line.
They may tell you that you don’t need a workers’ compensation lawyer or may suggest that your injuries were not severe. Insurance companies may ask why you would want to share your settlement with a workers’ comp lawyer. They will act as if they have your best interests at heart when, in truth, they do not. An experienced worker’s comp lawyer will be familiar with these tactics and know the best ways to fight them.
We have reputation on our side.
A workers’ compensation lawyer doesn’t just bring their knowledge and skills to the table. They bring their name. Workers’ comp law is a relatively small specialization. When insurance companies learn that you’ve hired a reputable workers’ compensation attorney, they know that you’re just as serious about obtaining compensation as they are about denying it to you.
Compensation is about more than medical bills.
Along with handling medical expenses, workers’ compensation benefits may also include partial wage replacement. In some work injury cases, you may also be eligible for money because you suffered a permanent disability, whether partial or total. You need an experienced workers’ comp lawyer to advise you about the types of benefits for which you’re eligible.
We can go all the way to trial.
Has your workers’ compensation claim been denied by your workplace insurance company? You have more options with a workers’ comp attorney than you do without one. Your workers’ compensation claim may be denied, or the insurance company may try to placate you with a paltry settlement.
A lawyer can help you with the next steps of going to a benefit review conference, attending a contested case hearing, or appealing a hearing decision.
If you still don’t get the result you need, your workers’ comp attorney can help you request a judicial review in the court system. When you take your workers’ comp case to court, it changes the equation for the insurance company. Going to trial is expensive. They have to decide whether they want to spend the time and resources to defend themselves in court, which can often be more expensive than paying you a fair settlement for your injuries.