What Does Texas Worker’s Compensation Cover ?

Texas workers’ compensation is a system that benefits employees who are injured or become ill due to their jobs. It covers medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs related to workplace injuries or illnesses. In cases of severe injury, it can also provide death benefits to surviving family members. However, Texas does not require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, and those who opt out may have different legal procedures for addressing workplace injuries. Workers’ compensation typically does not cover injuries resulting from employee negligence, self-inflicted injuries, or injuries occurring while the worker is engaged in illegal activities.

Medical Expenses

Workers’ compensation insurance provides coverage for the medical expenses incurred due to the work injury or disease. It may involve emergency room expenses, surgery, and prescriptions. If a worker suffers a slip–and–fall injury at work, for example, the workers’ compensation insurance policy would cover their medical treatment. In this case, the workers’ compensation might also cover long-term care, such as physical therapy or rehabilitation, which can help an injured employee regain their health and well-being.

Permanent Injury or Disability

Some injuries leave the victim with partial or permanent disabilities. Workers’ compensation provides coverage for continued medical treatment and can replace some of the lost wages because of the disability. For example, if a worker were to lose a finger on the job, they might get compensated for the permanent disability, known as an Impairment Rating, in addition to temporary disability while recovering from the injury.

Wage Replacement -Lost Income

Most employers cannot afford to continue paying employees who are unable to work because of an injury. In Texas, workers’ compensation income benefits replace most of the lost wages when an employee needs to take time off to recover. For example, if a construction worker breaks his arm and is out of work for eight weeks, workers’ comp will provide income benefits to replace some of those lost wages.

Retraining Expenses

Texas workers’ compensation provides Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits (SJDB) for injured workers who cannot return to their previous jobs due to permanent disability. This benefit includes a $6,000 voucher that can be used for educational retraining, skill enhancement, and job search assistance. The voucher covers expenses such as tuition, books, and necessary equipment to help workers transition into new careers.

Survivor Benefits

Unfortunately, workplace deaths occur each year, especially within high-hazard industries such as construction and trucking. For those incidents, workers’ compensation covers funeral expenses and death benefits for the employee’s family. The amount of coverage for both funeral expenses and death benefits is usually determined by guidelines established by the state.