Walmart Workers’ Compensation Claims in Houston

Walmart is among the largest employers in Texas and in the country. They employ people performing a wide variety of jobs ranging from customer service, stocking shelves, and even cargo transportation. What every job has in common is the chance that a worker will experience an injury as a result of performing their work duties. This could leave a person with substantial medical bills, lost wages, and emotional trauma.

While many people enjoy protection under a workers’ compensation plan in these situations, Houston is in a state that allows employers to avoid this obligation. Instead, employers like Walmart often opt out of workers’ compensation protection and take on a role as a non-subscriber. This means that people looking for compensation after a workplace injury must pursue their cases as traditional personal injury claims. The team at Schechter Shaffer & Harris is ready to help pursue Walmart workers’ compensation claims in Houston.

What it Means to be a Non-Subscriber

Employers in Houston and the rest of the state have an important choice to make when starting operations. They may choose to enter into the state’s workers’ compensation program, which would shield them from liability that results from a workplace injury.

However, state law also allows employers like Walmart to be a non-subscriber. This means that they may use a third-party insurance company to enact ERISA plans. These plans pay out benefits to employees in the event of an accident.

The main difference between these two options is the employer’s liability after certain types of incidents. Workers’ compensation plans give employers total immunity after the vast majority of workplace incidents. By contrast, non-subscribing companies may be directly liable for incidents that are their fault. This means that injured workers may pursue personal injury lawsuits against Walmart and other employers if it is apparent that Walmart was negligent in allowing an injury to occur. A lawyer could provide more information about the key legal differences between workers’ compensation and non-subscriber plans.

When is Walmart Responsible for a Workplace Injury?

It is not uncommon for people working for Walmart to endure injuries as the result of doing their job. Something as simple as pulling a muscle in their back or falling on a slick patch on the floor may cause debilitating injuries that keep a worker off the job for an extended period of time. In each example, an employee deserves the medical care that they need to make their best recovery and wage reimbursement for time missed on the job. As a non-subscriber, Walmart will submit these claims to their ERISA plan for potential payment. This applies regardless of who was to blame for the incident.

However, these ERISA plans offer only partial wage reimbursement to employees. They also do not provide compensation for lost quality of life or emotional traumas connected to the incident. To receive these forms of payment, a worker must prove that Walmart was negligent in allowing the event to occur.

Walmart might be negligent in many ways. They might not properly maintain vital equipment or clear hazards from workplaces that result in dangerous working conditions. It is also possible that they have provided inadequate training that makes co-workers a danger to their fellow employees. An attorney is prepared to perform a full investigation into the ways that Walmart was negligent in allowing a workplace injury to occur.

Contact Us with a Walmart Workers’ Compensation Claim in Houston

Walmart is a prominent employer in the Houston area that is a non-subscriber to the state’s workers’ compensation program. This means that Walmart is responsible for membership in its own ERISA benefit plan to cover workplace injuries. It also means they are directly responsible for any injuries that are the result of their negligence and failure to keep you safe.

An attorney could help you pursue a lawsuit that demands fair compensation when the company’s negligence caused your workplace injury and the financial burden that resulted. Contact our law firm now for help pursuing your Walmart workers’ compensation claim in Houston.