Anyone who has worked construction knows that an accident can happen at any time and turn your life completely upside down. One minute you are joking around with co-workers and the next you can barely move. Unable to work, you wonder how you will pay your bills and put food on the table.
You might have heard that workers’ compensation is available to you, but also that actually collecting benefits is more difficult than it should be. This is true. While the workers’ comp laws in Texas are cut-and-dry, the process is confusing and frustrating.
Many Texas workers who have been injured on the job are left angry and depressed after their workers’ comp claims are denied. The good news, for these workers, is that there is still hope. Claim denials are extremely common, and they are not the end of the road.
The next step after workers’ comp is denied
Employers and/or their insurers deny workers’ comp claims if they believe that the claims do not relate to workplace injuries, or are otherwise invalid or fraudulent, which is often not the case.
After a workers’ comp claim is denied, an appeal can be filed. However, the first step is to meet with a lawyer who can go over the case and determine if an appeal is appropriate. After the appeal is filed, a formal hearing will be set where the lawyer can demand that the injured worker receive the benefits that he or she is entitled to.
Injured construction workers need an advocate
Construction workers who are injured on the job and have a workers’ comp claim denied should not just accept the situation. Instead, they should work with a lawyer who will advocate for their rights.
Obtaining workers’ comp should not be as difficult as it has become in the state of Texas, but the good news is that there are lawyers that dedicate their careers to fighting for these workers. Those lawyers work right here at The Law Offices of Miller & Bicklein, P.C.
We serve injured workers in San Antonio, Odessa, Lubbock, Abilene and surrounding areas.