Texas workers often work long hours, which can sometimes lead to severe injuries or even death. Regulations, training and other safety measures are in place to protect workers; however, workplace injuries will still occur.
Fortunately, Texas employment law provides support for workers injured on the job. The Texas workers’ compensation laws allow injured workers a chance to secure benefits if they have been injured on the job.
What Kinds of Benefits Can I Receive If I’ve Lost Wages Due to an Injury?
The Texas Labor Code (TLC) allows for four types of compensation. These include income benefits, medical benefits, burial benefits and death benefits.
However, in the case of a work-related illness or work-related injury, you are able to replace only a portion of your lost income. Depending on the injury or illness, your income benefits could include Temporary Income Benefits, Impairment Income Benefits, Supplemental Income Benefits or Lifetime Income Benefits.
How Are Workers’ Compensation Benefits Calculated?
The benefits are calculated based off your average weekly wage (AWW) that you made in the 13 weeks prior to your on-the-job injury. Depending on the benefits you are receiving, you will be compensated a certain percentage of your AWW. There is also the state average weekly wage (SAWW), which is the equivalent of 88 percent of your AWW.
Currently, Temporary Income Benefits, Lifetime Income Benefits and Death Benefits are set to a maximum of 100 percent of the SAWW. Impairment Income Benefits and Supplemental Income Benefits are only at a maximum of 70 percent of the SAWW. The minimum benefit amount is 15 percent of the SAWW.
Depending on the reasons for your workplace injury or illness, other forms of compensation could be secured to cover both economical and non-economical damages.
Looking for an Austin-Area Workers’ Compensation Attorney?
On-the-job injuries can be frightening if they are serious enough to prevent you from working. No one ever wants to worry about how they are going to feed their family when they cannot work. The attorneys at The Law Offices of Aaron Allison work to defend the rights of the workers of Austin, Texas.
The Law Offices of Aaron Allison – Austin Personal Injury Attorney
[Did You Know? The first statewide workers’ comp law occurred in 1902 in Maryland.]
