Brian White | September 17, 2018 | Non-Subscriber Workers Compensation

Home Depot is a workers’ compensation non-subscriber. That means the company has elected to select its own workers’ compensation insurance company and policy rather than signing up for the state-offered workers’ compensation system.

Texas is the only state that allows non-subscription. If you suffered an injury while working at Home Depot in Houston, your workers’ compensation claim will look different from claims at other companies. You must follow Home Depot’s specific stipulations to qualify for benefits.

If you were recently injured while working for Home Depot, contact a Houston workers compensation attorney for help.

About Home Depot

The Home Depot, Inc. is the largest home improvement specialty retailer in the world. Founded in 1978 with two stores in Atlanta, Georgia, Home Depot now has 2,200 stores in North America. It employs nearly 400,000 people. Like many major retailers in Texas, Home Depot takes advantage of the state’s non-subscriber option for workers’ compensation insurance. The company offers benefits to injured workers, but it makes up most of its own rules for who can collect benefits.

Working in a home improvement store comes with unique risks of injury you might not find at other retail outlets. Cutting wood, transporting lumber, mixing paint, and making copies of keys are examples of tasks Home Depot employees often have to carry out. Working with heavy machinery and dangerous equipment can lead to injuries such as lacerations, traumatic amputation, chemical burns, and more. After any kind of accident on the job at a Texas Home Depot, explore your workers’ compensation rights with help from an attorney.

Information About Home Depot’s Workers’ Compensation Policy

Since Home Depot gets to make up many of the rules for how and when it will administer workers’ compensation benefits, it’s important to get a copy of the company’s workers compensation program information. Your employer should have this available, or you can request this information from a Houston injury lawyer. Some basic information regarding Home Depot workers’ comp claim is as follows:

  • Injured workers have 30 days to report workplace injuries.
  • Injured workers should ask whether they need to see specific physicians or if they can choose their own.
  • Injured workers with accepted claims can only collect benefits for a specified maximum amount of time, usually between 50 to 120 weeks.
  • Lifetime disability benefits and death benefits are generally not available.
  • Home Depot has the right to fire you because of your injuries.

It’s important to report your accident and injuries to a supervisor as soon as possible. You might technically have 30 days but waiting too long can hurt your claim. If you have questions or issues with your claim, don’t hesitate to speak to an employment attorney. The sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner you can get the information you need about your rights and obligations after a work-related accident.

How to Protect Yourself as an Injured Home Depot Employee

Texas’s options for non-subscribers can feel restrictive as an employee in the state. It might not seem fair that Home Depot employees in every other state in the country are eligible for more benefits than you and your family after an accident, just because of state laws. There are ways, however, to maximize your payout during a Home Depot workers’ compensation claim in Texas. Prioritize your personal health first. Then, follow all the rules Home Depot has in place for filing your claim with its insurance company.

Next, hire an employment lawyer. A lawyer can break down all the specifics of Home Depot’s insurance policy for you, as well as file your claim within all applicable deadlines. An attorney can also help you negotiate a higher insurance settlement if the company is trying to minimize your benefits. Your attorney can settle challenging disputes and give you all the information you need about filing a personal injury claim on top of a workers’ comp claim. Don’t try to navigate a complex Texas workers’ comp claim on your own.

Contact the Houston Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers For Help

For more information, contact the Houston workers’ compensation law firm of Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (713) 224-4878. 

Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers
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Houston, TX 77098
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