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Our Dallas-Fort Worth Work Injury Lawyer Can Help Protect Your Rights and Recover Fair Compensation
Whether it's a construction site mishap, a warehouse ladder accident, or an office-related incident, workplace injuries can occur in any setting, leaving you with physical, emotional, and financial burdens. If you have a non-subscriber employer, working with an experienced workplace injury attorney is crucial for obtaining rightful compensation.
At Armstrong Law, our mission is to advocate for your health, well-being, and the compensation you deserve. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment with Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer Warren Armstrong.
What Does It Mean to Be a Non-Subscriber Employer?
Many of Texas’s largest employers–like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Costco, Target, Lowes, Kroger, Fiesta, and Amazon–do not carry or “subscribe to” workers' comp insurance. These companies are known as non-subscribers, and cases where workers are injured while working for non-subscribers are known as non-subscriber cases.
Employers must clearly inform employees about their non-subscriber status and the alternative benefits provided.
What Happens If I’m Injured While Working for a Non-Subscriber Employer?
Non-subscriber employer work injury cases are different from other types of Texas personal injury claims. In a typical personal injury case in Texas, your percentage of fault reduces your ability to recover damages. In a Texas non-subscriber work injury case, the employer is not allowed to try to blame the worker for their own injuries.
If your employer is found to be just 1% at fault in causing your injury, your employer is on the hook for 100% of your damages. The most common ways in which employers are found liable for their workers’ injuries include:
- Insufficient or improper training, including failure to provide comprehensive safety instruction and inadequate equipment operation guidance
- Hazardous work environments, such as poorly maintained facilities, inadequate lighting, or poor ventilation
- Defective or improperly maintained equipment, including outdated or malfunctioning machinery, lack of regular inspections, and failure to replace worn-out tools
- Substandard or missing personal protective equipment (PPE), like failure to provide appropriate safety gear, supplying low-quality items, or not enforcing the use of required safety equipment
- Negligence of supervisors or co-workers, including failure to address reported safety concerns and improper supervision of high-risk tasks
- Violation of occupational safety regulations, including non-compliance with OSHA standards, failure to report workplace incidents, and ignoring mandated safety inspections
- Improper handling of hazardous materials, such as insufficient training on chemical handling, lack of proper storage facilities, and failure to provide necessary containment equipment
What Damages Can I Recover in a Non-Subscriber Work Injury Claim?
Potential damages your non-subscriber can be held liable for include:
- Current lost income due to inability to work, future lost earning capacity, and lost benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions
- Medical expenses such as bills for emergency room and hospital costs, surgical expenses, ongoing treatment and therapy costs, and prescription medication expenses
- Pain and suffering compensation for the physical pain endured due to the injury as well as emotional distress and mental anguish
- Disfigurement compensation for scarring, visible physical deformities, and costs of cosmetic procedures to address disfigurement
- Physical compensation for permanent disability or loss of function, reduced mobility or dexterity, chronic pain or discomfort, and costs of home modifications to accommodate impairment
- Additional potential damages, such as punitive damages in cases of gross negligence
What’s the Difference Between a Non-Subscriber Work Injury and a Third-Party Injury Claim?
In many workplace accidents, there are third parties such as product manufacturers, vendors, suppliers, clients, contractors, or subcontractors who are responsible for any injuries that their employees may cause. If you are injured at a workplace by some other third party’s employee, you may be able to bring a personal injury claim against that company with the assistance of a Texas workplace accident lawyer.
These personal injury claims against responsible parties other than your employer are called third-party claims. It is important to move quickly if you think you may have a third-party claim since evidence is often lost and witnesses’ memories fade as time passes.
Why Should I Choose Armstrong Law for Help With My Work Injury Claim?
If you are injured while working for a non-subscriber employer, Armstrong Law can help you by:
- Evaluating the specifics of your case to determine the best course of action for your non-subscriber work injury claim and possible third-party personal injury claim
- Negotiating with insurance companies or employers to secure fair compensation for your injuries
- Providing legal representation if your case goes to trial, which is particularly important for non-subscriber cases where litigation is more likely