Were you injured in a job-site accident in Laredo, Texas? You may be entitled to a significant financial recovery, more than just standard workers’ compensation.
An experienced Laredo workplace accident lawyer at Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. can evaluate your legal options and seek full payment for your medical bills and lost earnings.
Contact us today at (956) 606-4878 for a free consultation.
Why Choose Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. After a Workplace Accident in Laredo, TX?
Texas allows employers to opt out of state workers’ compensation, which significantly alters how you must pursue financial recovery.
You need a team that understands those laws and how to get the most from your injury claim.
Our Laredo injury lawyers are ready to fight for the payout you deserve.
Injured workers throughout Laredo, TX, trust our legal team because of our:
- Extensive trial experience, including over 300 cases and arbitrations
- Proven track record of obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for injured clients, including in workplace accident cases
- Recognition from prestigious organizations, such as the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Texas Lawyer Magazine
- Decades of combined experience handling non-subscriber claims and complex work injury lawsuits
- No legal fees unless we win financial recovery for your claim
Contact us today to speak with a Laredo work injury lawyer who can advocate for you.
Workplace Accidents We Handle in Laredo
As an international trade hub, Laredo has every type of industry imaginable, and it’s worksites are known for dangers related to transportation, manufacturing, and construction.
Our attorneys represent victims involved in many severe on-the-job incidents, including:
- Heavy machinery collisions in logistics centers
- Falls on job sites
- Defective industrial equipment
- Dangerous machine malfunctions
- Commercial motor vehicle crashes
- Electrical burns and chemical exposure
- Catastrophic workplace fires/explosions
- Many other hazards
If you were injured in one of these accidents, reach out to our legal team today to discuss your rights. You may be entitled to multiple types of compensation to address your losses.
Texas Law on Workplace Injuries
Texas is unique in that it does not require employers to purchase statutory workers’ compensation coverage. Rather, companies can choose to opt for state-regulated coverage or opt out as a “non-subscriber.”
If your employer carries insurance, you can receive injury benefits through a no-fault system. However, state law generally grants subscribing employers immunity from personal injury lawsuits filed by employers. That’s the quid pro quo of workers’ comp.
But under Texas Labor Code Section 406.033, non-subscribing employers are not entitled to the same protections. You can sue a non-subscriber for negligence, and they can be liable for failing to provide a reasonably safe work environment.
Direct claims against non-subscribers offer significantly more value than workers’ compensation; damages are un-capped and pain and suffering is an available damage category. Determining your employer’s insurance status is the first step to uncovering your compensation options.
Can Undocumented Workers Recover Compensation After a Workplace Accident?
Yes. Under state law, an employee’s immigration status does not bar them from seeking legal remedies after an on-the-job injury. In Grocers Supply, Inc. v. Cabello, Texas courts affirmed that undocumented workers may collect benefits.
Undocumented employees injured by non-subscriber employers may have the right to file direct negligence lawsuits. In court proceedings, judges routinely bar defense lawyers from introducing immigration status when it is irrelevant to employer fault. Speak with our bilingual legal staff to discuss your options for taking legal action in the U.S.
What Causes Most Workplace Injuries in Laredo?
Most industrial and warehouse accidents stem from employer negligence. Specifically, they result from inadequate oversight or unaddressed jobsite hazards.
Frequent causes of workplace harm include:
- Lack of safety gear
- Improper training
- Poorly maintained machinery
- Hazardous walkways
- OSHA regulatory violations
- Unsafe staffing levels
Many workplace accidents are preventable through taking reasonable safety precautions. Uncovering specific safety violations can help establish liability against negligent employers or third-party contractors.
What Is My Laredo Workplace Injury Case Worth?
The ultimate financial value of your claim depends on whether your employer subscribed to coverage. The value also depends whether third-party negligence played a role.
Key factors influencing your case value include:
- The extent of of your injuries and whether you suffered long-term disability
- Your current and expected medical bills
- Lost wage history
- Your diminished earning capacity
- Comparative fault issues in third-party lawsuits
A dedicated lawyer can calculate your full physical, emotional, and financial losses. Your attorney can even bring in experts to establish the full value of your case.
What Compensation Is Available After a Workplace Injury in Texas?
Your financial recovery depends heavily on your employer’s insurance selections following a major crash or workplace hazard.
Standard worker’s compensation claims provide limited coverage, including:
- Payment for mandatory medical treatment
- Capped temporary income benefits during recovery
- Impairment or supplemental benefits for long-term restrictions
- Death benefits for surviving family members
Workers’ comp also does not pay for non-economic damages like physical pain or emotional trauma.
In contrast, lawsuits against non-subscribers or negligent third parties allow victims to recover full spectrum of damages available. This includes full lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, physical disfigurement, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. Punitive damages may also be available in rare cases to punish an employer or third party for extreme misconduct like wilful safety violations.
Here are the two additional sections to insert prior to your final call to action:
Financial Recovery in Fatal On-the-Job Accidents
If a job-site incident results in death, the financial relief available to grieving relatives is also based on on whether the employer maintains workers’ compensation policies.
When companies subscribe to state coverage, qualifying family members can collect death benefits. These payments cover a percentage of a decedent’s average earnings alongside fixed burial allowances. However, standard workers’ comp excludes damages for emotional trauma, mental anguish, or lost companionship.
Conversely, if the defendant is a non-subscribing employer or a third party, surviving family can file a wrongful death lawsuit. These legal actions help families to pursue recovery for lost financial support, loss of guidance, mental anguish, and funeral costs. Estate representatives may also bring a survival action to secure compensation for pre-death medical treatment and physical pain.
Can I Still Recover Compensation if I’m Partially Responsible for My Accident?
In most workers’ compensation claims, fault is not a factor. Workers can collect payments even if a personal error contributed to the event. Exceptions may apply for intoxicated workers or those who intentionally injured themselves.
Under Texas proportionate responsibility laws, third-party lawsuits only permit recovery if your fault is 50 percent or less than the defendant’s. You cannot recover compensation if you are 51 percent or more at fault.
If your employer is a non-subscriber, state law explicitly precludes them from using your level of fault to bar or reduce your financial recovery; they must prove your actions were the sole cause of the incident.
How Long Do I Have to File a Workplace Injury Claim in Texas?
Injured employees must meet strict legal timelines to qualify for benefits. For workers’ compensation claims, you must notify your employer within 30 days and file official paperwork with the state within one year.
For non-subscriber lawsuits and third-party claims, Texas imposes a two-year deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit in court. The clock starts running on the date of the accident.
An experienced attorney can help you determine and comply with the deadlines in your claim.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Laredo Workplace Accident Lawyer?
Most firms represent injured workers on a contingency fee basis. Clients pay no upfront retainers, out-of-pocket costs, or hourly bills while a claim is being resolved. Attorney fees come directly as an agreed-upon percentage of the financial recovery secured for the client. If the firm does not recover compensation on the client’s behalf, there are no fees.
Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. offers contingent-fee legal representation and free initial consultations to assist injured workers in exploring their legal rights.
How a Work Injury Attorney Can Help Your Claim
Workplace injury claims involve intricate legal issues, but an experienced lawyer will simplify those issues by:
- Verifying whether your employer subscribed to state coverage or operates as a non-subscriber, directing your entire legal strategy
- Investigating the event thoroughly by reviewing safety records, equipment maintenance logs, and official OSHA citations
- Identifying all liable parties beyond your employer, including third-party contractors, property owners, or equipment manufacturers
- Documenting the full extent of physical, financial, and emotional losses, including long-term care needs and lost earning capacity
- Pushing back against attempts by insurance companies to shift blame or raise comparative fault defenses
- Managing all communications and settlement negotiations directly with defense attorneys and insurance adjusters
Your attorney can also file a formal personal injury lawsuit and litigate your case in court if insurers refuse to offer fair compensation.
Contact a Laredo Workplace Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Employers and insurance adjusters don’t get the final say on whether you deserve compensation for your injuries. Depending on whether your company opted out of workers’ compensation, your case may be worth significantly more money.
Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. can help you fight for a full financial recovery. Call today to schedule a free consultation with a Laredo workplace accident lawyer.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office
At Trujillo Gonzalez, we serve injury victims across Webb County.
