(Transcript)

If you’re injured on the job in Texas, you might be able to make a workers’ compensation claim through your employer. But what if your employer isn’t responsible? Sometimes, the injury was caused by another company—a third party. That might happen if you’re working at a place where many companies are contributing, like a construction site, on a third party’s property, or with a defective tool.

If your company isn’t responsible, there’s no workers’ compensation to claim. Instead, you would file what’s called a third-party liability claim, which is a lawsuit against the other company. You have to prove that this company caused your injury, which makes a third-party liability claim different from a workers’ compensation claim. But on the plus side, you can claim more money than you could through workers’ compensation. That includes full replacement wages, all your past and future medical costs, and compensation for any permanent disability.

Proving that the third party caused the injury is an important part of this kind of lawsuit. You’re really going up against the third party’s insurance company, which covers any payout to you. Insurance companies get sued a lot because that’s part of their business, and they lose money when they lose lawsuits. That means some of them have tricks to avoid paying what they owe, and one of those tricks is arguing that the injury was your fault, or your employer’s fault, or caused by some other party that was there when you got hurt.

This is where the services of an experienced attorney are very important. An experienced Texas workplace injury lawyer will know how to sort out who is at fault for the injury and prove it in court. They will also be able to prove in court that the money you’re claiming is reasonable compensation for your injuries, and all the costs associated with those injuries.