Workers' Compensation Attorneys in Houston, TX

Port workers, refinery crews, hospital staff, and construction laborers in Houston get seriously hurt on the job. A Texas-licensed workers’ compensation attorney handling Houston cases will review your injury claim free.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a Texas attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Houston workers' compensation case review

A Texas attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

By submitting, you agree that DearLegal and the attorneys or law firms we connect you with may contact you by phone and email about your inquiry, including by automated technology.

DearLegal is not a law firm and will not provide legal advice. DearLegal connects users to licensed attorneys.

How we match your Houston workers' compensation case

When you submit a Houston workers' compensation matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A workers' compensation matter needs someone who handles workers' compensation work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Texas law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Texas who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Start my free case review How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Workers' Compensation cases in Houston

More about legal help in Houston →

Work injuries in Houston happen at refineries and chemical plants, on construction sites, at the port, in hospitals, and on delivery routes, and Texas is unusual because employers are not required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. If your employer subscribes, claims go through the state workers’ compensation system rather than Harris County courts; if not, you may sue the employer directly for negligence. Knowing which applies changes everything. DearLegal matches you with a Texas-licensed attorney who handles workers’ compensation cases in Houston, with a free review.

Texas does not require employers to carry workers’ comp, so many Houston injury cases become lawsuits instead.
Subscribing employers’ claims go through the state workers’ compensation system, not Harris County courts.
Refinery, plant, port, and construction jobs generate many of Houston’s serious workplace injury claims.

Texas workers' compensation rules at a glance

Houston cases run under Texas law. The full walkthrough — timeline, when to call, case types, and what a recovery can include — is on the Texas page.

Read the full Texas workers' compensation guide →

Governing Statute: Workers' Comp Act
Texas Workers' Compensation Act, Tex. Lab. Code Title 5 (subscriber employers); common-law negligence for nonsubscribers
Agency: Department
Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC)
Notice of Injury: 30 days
30 days to notify the employer (Tex. Lab. Code § 409.001)
Statute of Limitations: 1 year
1 year from injury to file with DWC (Tex. Lab. Code § 409.003); 2 years for nonsubscriber negligence under CPRC § 16.003
Nonsubscriber Defense Bar: Tex. Lab. Code § 406.033
Tex. Lab. Code § 406.033 strips assumption of risk, contributory negligence, and fellow-servant defenses from nonsubscriber employers sued by injured workers
Typical attorney fee: 25%
25% (subscriber DWC); 33%–40% (nonsubscriber negligence and third-party tort) contingency — no fee unless you win

Exhibit D

How much do Houston workers' compensation attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Texas · Workers' Compensation

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 25%− $25,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$75,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Texas workers' compensation attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Texas caps subscriber workers' comp attorney fees at 25% of recovery under Tex. Lab. Code § 408.221, subject to DWC approval. Nonsubscriber negligence cases under § 406.033 — and third-party tort claims (oil-field contractor, motor vehicle, product liability) — run on standard 33%–40% personal-injury contingency. Determining subscriber vs. nonsubscriber is the most consequential first step in any Texas work-injury case.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Start my free case reviewTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit F

Houston workers' compensation questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Texas attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

Texas allows employers to opt out, and if yours did, you can sue the employer directly for negligence in Harris County, and the employer loses certain defenses. These cases can be worth more than comp benefits. An attorney determines your employer’s status and the best path.

Report it to your employer as soon as possible, ideally in writing; Texas requires notice within a limited period, and the formal claim has its own deadline. Late reporting gives insurers grounds to deny. An attorney makes sure everything is filed correctly and on time.

Often yes. If a contractor, equipment maker, or property owner other than your employer caused the injury, you may bring a separate lawsuit in Harris County in addition to any comp benefits. Those claims can recover pain and suffering. An attorney evaluates all responsible parties.

You can verify employer status through the Texas DWC's online Insurance Coverage Verification System. Subscriber employers carry workers' comp; nonsubscribers opt out. Nonsubscriber status is the most consequential fact in any Texas work-injury case — it determines whether you can sue your employer in court for full tort damages.

Texas is the only state where employers can legally opt out of workers' comp. Nonsubscriber employers can be sued for negligence under common law without the exclusive-remedy bar, and § 406.033 strips them of common-law defenses (assumption of risk, contributory negligence, fellow-servant). The worker can recover full tort damages — past and future medical, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish — with no comp caps.