How Do You Qualify to Temporary Income Benefits? How Long Are They Paid?
If you’ve been injured on the job in Texas, you may be entitled to temporary income benefits through a Texas workers’ compensation claim. Texas law is somewhat different from other states, though, as employers are not required to subscribe to the state’s work comp system (though, as a practical matter, nearly 80% of all Texas employers provide workers’ compensation benefits). How do you qualify for temporary income benefits and how long can you potentially receive them?
Most Texas Workers Covered by Workers’ Compensation Insurance
While the data collected by the Texas Department of Insurance shows that about one in every four employers in Texas is a non-subscriber (does not carry traditional work comp insurance), statistics also show that nearly 90% of all workers in the Lone Star State work for companies with workers’ compensation insurance in place.
How Do Temporary Income Benefits Work under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Laws?
In Texas, individuals who work for subscribing companies are entitled to temporary income benefits (TIBs) if they are unable to work or cannot earn what they previously earned due to a work-related injury. A worker becomes eligible if a workplace injury leads to lost wages for more than 7 calendar days.
For most workers, the temporary income benefit is calculated at 70% of the difference between your average weekly wage (AWW) for the 13 weeks prior to your injury and your actual post-injury earnings. However, if your hourly wages are less than $10 per hour, you may be entitled to 75% of your average weekly wage for the first 26 weeks of benefits.
Temporary income benefits are typically paid until you return to work, reach “maximum medical improvement (MMI),” or have collected benefits for 104 weeks.
Let Attorney Michael R. De La Paz Protect Your Rights When You Have Been Hurt in a Texas Truck Accident
At the Law Office of Michael R. De La Paz, we have more than 26 years of experience protecting the rights of personal injury victims in Harlingen, McAllen, Brownsville and Houston, across Texas and nationwide. We have a comprehensive understanding of the types of injuries commonly suffered in any type of motor vehicle accident, and know how to effectively present your case to a judge and jury, if necessary. We will use our considerable experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you get the outcome you want. Free call, text or chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week–https://delapazlaw.com/.
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