AutoZone is a major employer in the Houston area, and is also a dangerous place to work, due to the use of heavy tools and the movement of large vehicle-related products. While AutoZone certainly has an obligation under the law to keep their employees safe, this does not include obtaining a workers’ compensation insurance policy. In fact, Texas never obligates employers to obtain this protection for workers.
While this may make it more difficult to obtain medical care and wage reimbursement after an injury, it also means that AutoZone may be directly liable for your losses. A workplace accident attorney helps you prove that your non-subscribing employer was negligent in allowing your injury to occur and should compensate for your losses. Contact us today for help with any AutoZone workers’ compensation claims in Houston.
Large companies like AutoZone often choose to opt out of the state’s workers’ compensation insurance program. This means that they carry the label of being a non-subscriber. In place of workers’ compensation insurance, AutoZone may have an ERISA plan, which can provide benefits in the form of medical care and partial wage reimbursement. However, they do not provide protection against direct liability for employers.
This hole in protection allows for personal injury lawsuits against AutoZone, which can demand compensation for all remaining missing wages, as well as payments for reductions in a worker’s quality of life. The employer may have been negligent by allowing a dangerous workspace due to temporary hazards, improper training, or failing to properly maintain work equipment. One of the benefits of having legal counsel is their ability to evaluate employer liability in AutoZone workers’ compensation claims in Houston.
ERISA will not always cover all the losses associated with an injury, which is why it is helpful to have the option of suing the employer directly. However, while the AutoZone management might have played a contributory role in the accident or the injury, it is also possible that another party may have played a part. Another employee might have improperly stocked heavy equipment or left a tripping hazard on the floor. An unruly customer might have gotten violent and the employer did little to stop them. It may even be possible to place blame on a manufacturer whose product malfunctioned and caused injury while the user was at work.
There may be several different avenues of compensation, which is why it is important to speak with a Houston-based lawyer about a workers’ compensation claim with AutoZone. They know the different angles to examine in order to secure a fair outcome.
If you have endured an injury while at work in an AutoZone location in Texas, you are not locked out of being compensated. Even when AutoZone has chosen to opt out of the state’s workers’ compensation insurance plan and is a non-subscriber, this does not change their obligation to keep you safe. They are directly responsible for their negligence that causes your injuries and so too are third parties who may have contributed to it.
A lawyer from Schechter, Shaffer & Harris could explain how to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent employer or third party. These cases can demand compensation for all remaining missing wages and even the diminished quality of life you experienced afterward. Contact a lawyer now and make your appointment to discuss your AutoZone workers’ compensation claim in Houston.
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