Under Texas law, employers do not have to purchase workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. The law says that employers do not have to “subscribe” to workers’ compensation insurance.
The employers who take advantage of this law in Texas are called “non-subscriber” employers. This Non-subscriber workers’ compensation Texas law created a need for Texas non-subscriber work injury lawyers who can help ensure employees receive compensation for work-related injuries.
You may wonder what non-subscriber workers’ compensation looks like. Many non-subscriber employers carry insurance that takes the place of workers’ compensation insurance. But it’s usually not the same and does not have the same protections.
Therefore it is crucial to contact a Texas work injury lawyer who focuses on representing seriously injured workers. The work injury law firm of Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP has been fighting for the rights of injured workers for many years.
Our Texas workers’ comp lawyers went into detail to explain what you need to know if your employer is not a subscriber to workers’ compensation.
How Non-Subscriber Cases Are Different
With a basic Texas workers’ compensation injury, the worker is entitled to medical benefits and wage loss benefits if the injury prevents them from working.
It does not matter if the employee was at fault and caused the injury.
If the employer was negligent and caused the worker to be injured, the employee cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against the employer for that negligence.
The employer is shielded from negligence lawsuits as long as they agree to provide workers’ compensation coverage under Texas law.
In contrast, non-subscriber work injury cases do not have this lawsuit protection, and employees can file actual lawsuits against their employers to prove that they were the cause of the injuries.
Unlike a regular workers’ compensation case, where the only recovery is medical and wage benefits, under a non-subscriber case, an injured worker can also win pain and suffering damages.
This is the risk that non-subscriber employers take by not “subscribing” to the regular Texas workers’ compensation system.
Texas Non-Subscriber Companies
- Walmart
- Amazon
- HEB
- Target
- Best Buy
- Home Depot
- Tractor Supply
- Stripes
- Tom Thumb
- Pep Boys
- Costco
- Wendy’s
- McDonald’s (some locations)
- Oak Farms Dairy
- American Bottling Company (Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Keurig)
- Brookdale Senior Living
- Lowe’s Home Improvement
- Kroger
- Sam’s
- Whataburger
- Kohl’s
- Hobby Lobby
- Ross Dress for Less
- Randalls or Albertsons
- Brookshire Brothers
- Pilgrim’s Pride
- Macy’s
- AutoZone
- O’Reilly Auto Parts
- Family Dollar and Dollar Tree
- Dollar General
- Academy Sports + Outdoors
- McLane Foodservice Distribution, Inc.
Non-Subscriber Cases Are Similar to Other Negligence Cases
Non-subscriber cases are like other negligence cases, such as car and truck collisions, slip and falls, and defective products.
If you can prove that the employer was negligent and violated a duty of care to the employee and that the violation was the actual cause of the injury, then the employee can file a lawsuit (just like a car accident lawsuit) against their employer and seek more damages.
Non-subscriber cases are more beneficial to the employee than a typical negligence case because the law prohibits an employer from arguing defenses to the case that other defendants can make.
An experienced non-subscriber attorney can help you work out the contours of your case to increase your chances of getting the compensation you deserve.
Prohibited Defenses for Workers Compensation Texas Law
There are certain prohibited defenses for workers’ compensation.
Texas law makes it much more difficult for non-subscriber employers because, ultimately, the state of Texas wants its employers to have normal workers’ compensation coverage for their employees.
The law is structured so that employers cannot use the normal defenses that a defendant can use in a regular negligence case.
Here are the defenses that are not allowed to be used by non-subscriber employers:
- Contributory negligence—A non-subscriber employer cannot use the defense that the employee contributed to their own injury to offset the employer’s liability. Even if the employee was mostly at fault for their own work injury, as long as it can be shown that the employer was partly at fault, then the employer is responsible for the damages.
- Assumption of the risk—The “assumption of the risk” argument is used when the injured plaintiff knew that the activity was risky and proceeded anyway. In a non-subscriber case, the employer cannot use this against the injured employee, even if it was clear that the employee knew there was a risk of injury when they proceeded with the work activity.
- Pre-injury waiver of liability: A waiver of liability is often signed by individuals who participate in certain risky activities. For example, oftentimes you would have to sign a waiver if you engage in some kind of sport such as skiing or racetrack racing. If you sign a waiver and then get injured, you typically would not be able to sue anyone, even if they were negligent. Non-subscriber employers cannot use this defense for injured workers.
However, a post-injury waiver is a valid defense that can be used. For example, if a worker was injured and the employer offered the employee a sum of money to sign a waiver, this would prevent the worker from filing a lawsuit. If this is offered please talk to our non-subscriber work injury lawyer today.
What Benefits Are Texas Non-Subscribers Liable For?
The Texas non-subscriber law does not require non-subscriber employers to do anything for their injured employees.
They can, if they so choose, provide certain benefits such as medical and wage loss benefits.
Although some non-subscriber employers have insurance policies that are similar to workers’ compensation policies to provide some money to injured workers, the injured worker would still be able to file a lawsuit against their employer.
Some work injuries are minor and require minimal treatment and only a small amount of time off work.
If the non-subscriber employer agrees to take care of the medical bills and pay the employee the lost wages, then most of the time, no further action is taken.
However, other work injuries are significant and may result in the employee becoming permanently disabled or the loss of life due to the work accident.
Texas non-subscribers are liable to provide several benefits to injured workers, including:
- Payment of medical expenses related to the workplace injury.
- Coverage or reimbursement for necessary medical care.
- Compensation for lost wages due to the injury.
- Restitution for emotional distress or pain caused by the workplace injury.
These cases can become very difficult to win.
That is why it is in the best interest of an employee to hire a law firm that focuses its practice on representing injured workers and fighting for their rights especially when it comes to Texas non-subscriber workers’ compensation law.
Our Texas Work Injury Lawyers Fight for the Rights of Injured Workers
Contact our Texas workers comp lawyers today. If you have been seriously injured in a work accident and your employer is a non-subscriber and does not have workers’ compensation insurance coverage, you may have questions about how you will get the benefits you deserve.
Contact the Houston work injury lawyers at Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP today to get the help you deserve.
Please contact us online or call us for a free consultation at 832-402-6637.
