How does Texas law operate when you fall at your job site?
You don’t want to get hurt by falling at your job site.
Texas law gets complicated when you do, and it isn’t on your side.
Texas law gets complicated when you do, and it isn’t on your side.
When you fall down and get hurt at work in Texas, the law gets complicated. If you thought law was already confusing, it gets even more so.
This is because Texas doesn’t require companies to carry workers’ compensation. We’re the only state to do so, and about a third of Texas companies don’t have the coverage. That amounts to millions of employees being without it.
When you fall on the job, it’s not automatically a workers’ comp case.
You may have a claim in Texas, even if you were hurt on the job, if:
One of the main differences between personal injury and workers’ compensation law is that you don’t have to prove fault with workers’ compensation. Another is that the potential damages you can collect with personal injury are theoretically unlimited, and generally higher.
Let’s be real here.
Insurance companies make money three ways:
That’s the way the coverage works in Texas and any other state in the nation.
Andrew Ellis was driving a semi-truck and began unloading a shipment with a two-wheel dolly. The shipment, a load of plastic PVC pipes, was being pulled by Andrew with full force, when he slipped and fell backward. During the process, he felt his left knee pop, causing his knee joint to go out of place. Of course, it was intensely painful.
The Workers’ Comp Insurance Company, Providence, denied Ellis’ claim because he verbally said his knee “gave out.” “Giving out” does not imply a work-related injury was their reasoning. And, you could say, it was just an injury waiting to happen.
Andrew was fired because he didn’t show up for work due to his injury. When he called HR, they told him he had quit. He eventually became homeless. 33 months later, law prevailed, and Ellis won $268,000 for his claim.
His attorney told him his case is nothing special.
And he’s right, it’s not!
To top it off, the policy written by Providence was intentionally designed to not pay. It required Andrew to notify his employer of his injury within 24 hours (versus 30 days normally required by Texas’ Workers Comp). Plus, the plan also required a supervisor to go with Andrew to all his doctor appointments!
You can read the full story at the Houston Press.
If you fall while working, there’s no guarantee you’ll experience trouble getting the benefits you should. But, you do have a high chance. Make sure you act fast if you’re injured in a work accident. Consultations with personal injury lawyers are free, so you risk nothing by at least checking your facts with a legal expert.
In the last 3 years, we’ve made TopVerdict’s annual Texas “Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements” list 43 times.
According to TopVerdict.com, our Dallas attorneys consistently achieve some of the highest recoveries in the state of Texas. As a matter of fact, in the last three years we’ve made their “Texas Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements” list 43 times. For example, in 2021 one of our claims made the Top 10 list, eight made the Top 11-20 list, and ten made the Top 21-50 list. When you factor in our reduced 29% contingency fee, we are confident we will help you recover more. At Mullen & Mullen, we pride ourselves on routinely recovering full policy limits for our clients without the necessity of costly and time-consuming litigation.
We have access to state-of-the-art diagnostic technology through well-established relationships with medical doctors, surgeons, physical therapists, chiropractors, neurologists, counselors, and other healthcare providers in the entire DFW Metroplex. You receive the quality medical attention you need from local providers near where you live or work. These providers specialize in treating people hurt in accidents of all kinds and they know how to properly document injuries to meet the legal burden of proof in your personal injury case. These providers are also willing to delay billing collections until after your case is resolved so you can focus on recovering without additional stress. Physicians that don’t routinely treat accident victims as part of their practice usually turn away patients over fear of being involved in the legal process or fear of health insurance companies refusing to pay accident-related healthcare bills. Please call us at 214-747-5240 for a free consultation and some advice.
Even if you don’t have health insurance or can’t afford your deductible, Mullen & Mullen will secure you the quality healthcare and state-of-the art diagnostics you deserve with no upfront out of pocket costs.
Shane, Joseph and Regis have almost 100 years of combined experience practicing personal injury law. That doesn’t even include the combined experience of the attorneys that serve as of-counsel to Mullen & Mullen at no additional cost to our clients. Our firm continues to evolve, but we never forget our Core Values. We do the right thing, handle cases the way we would want our own case handled, and we truly listen to clients. We have over 40 years of local knowledge, and that matters!
Some lawyers forget that they represent the client, but we never have. Our legal team will make YOU the priority. You are the boss, and we will respond quickly to your requests for case updates and assistance. We guarantee that when you need to speak to your counsel, you will speak directly to your counsel, not to a paralegal or secretary, because that’s the way it should be.
Most firms hire an investigator to help develop evidence on your case and charge you back for that service. Our firm, however, has 2 full-time accident investigators on staff and we offer their services to you for free. This is another way we will maximize your compensation.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Video footage is worth a lot more. Our in-house videographer allows us to capture the true impact the accident has on your life beyond mere words on a piece of paper.
When necessary, Mullen & Mullen Law Firm uses cutting edge technology like 3D imaging videos to fully demonstrate the extent of our clients’ injuries to the insurance companies. This also helps maximize the value of your claim.
Mullen & Mullen’s attorneys live and work right here in Dallas, and always have. We believe in paying our success forward by helping people in the North Texas community, and are dedicated to supporting these local charities.
Our success rate speaks for itself. We consistently earn awards from TopVerdict.com for achieving the highest settlement amounts in Texas. In fact, no other law office made their 2021 Texas "Top 50" personal injury settlements list as many times as we did. We placed on it nineteen times in a single year.
You'll always be kept in the loop regarding the status of your case. Calls are answered promptly, and you can even text your dedicated legal team directly 24/7.
We'll make you feel like part of the family, not just another case. Our compassionate lawyers will take the time to listen to your story, comprehensively understand your unique circumstances, and we will tailor our legal strategies accordingly. Your best interests are at the forefront of everything we do.
Mullen & Mullen has been a mainstay in the North Texas community since 1983. Our attorneys are always willing to meet with injury victims face-to-face. You won’t be dealing with some call center hundreds of miles away or on the other side of the country (or world).
We won’t back down or be intimidated in any form or fashion. We will not allow insurance carriers to delay, deny, or minimize your claim. We never hesitate to recommend litigation if it is necessary to achieve a just outcome.
When you work with a big law firm, you'll most likely be assigned a case worker and may never even talk to your attorney. Our attorneys make themselves available and invest in your case personally.
Of course we only get paid when you do. And when we do, we discount our legal fees to 29% instead of the industry standard 33.3% for claims that settle without litigation.
It's not just the hundreds of 5-star reviews that we've earned, but the things that our clients say. Read our reviews and you'll quickly see that we put passion into our work.
The Mullen & Mullen family is here to address your concerns and make the path to recovery smooth. There are no fees to get started and you pay $0 if we don’t settle your case.
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LICENSED BY THE STATES OF TEXAS & MISSOURI FOR THE GENERAL PRACTICE OF LAW. The information on this website is not intended to be legal advice. That can only come from a qualified personal injury lawyer who is familiar with all the circumstances and facts of your specific case and the law relevant to it.
