A workers comp lawyer in Texas fights for the weekly checks the law owes you: 70% of your average weekly wage. Checks top out at $1,314 a week, and the clock on your claim is already running. Tell your employer within 30 days.
What Texas Workers Compensation Pays Each Week
Your weekly check is 70% of your average weekly wage. It tops out at $1,314 a week for injuries from Oct 1, 2026 through Sept 30, 2027.
The first week goes unpaid. That week gets paid only if you lose pay for 14 days or more.
Weekly checks stop when you reach maximum medical improvement, or 104 weeks after they start. After that, you may get impairment checks.
Impairment pay runs 3 weeks of checks for each point of your impairment rating. Say a doctor gives Brian a rating of 5. That is 5 x 3 = 15 weeks of checks.
A low rating means fewer weeks of pay. A Texas attorney can push back when the number looks wrong.
| Rule | Texas |
|---|---|
| Weekly check (temporary income benefits) | 70% of your average weekly wage |
| Weekly cap, injuries Oct 1, 2026 to Sept 30, 2027 | $1,314 |
| Waiting period | first week unpaid unless you lose pay for 14 days or more |
| Temporary benefits stop | at MMI or 104 weeks after they start |
Texas Deadlines to Report and File Your Claim
Tell your employer about the injury within 30 days. The count starts the day you were hurt, or the day you knew work caused it.
Put that report in writing and keep a copy. Your boss knowing about it is not enough proof.
Filing your claim is a second, separate step. You must file DWC Form-041 within one year of the injury.
A report to your employer does not count as your claim. Miss either deadline and you put your benefits at risk.
Both clocks keep running while you heal, so call early. The date counter turns your injury date into real dates.
| Deadline | Texas |
|---|---|
| Tell your employer | within 30 days |
| File your claim (DWC Form-041) | within one year |
| Appeal a hearing decision | 15 days |
When Texas Denies Your Claim or Stops Your Checks
Call for a free case review before you do anything else. A Texas workers comp attorney reads the denial and gets on it right away.
Texas workers comp laws give you the right to fight a denial. You do not have to take the first no as the last word.
Keep the denial letter and note the date it arrived. Save your pay stubs, doctor notes and every letter from the insurance company.
Checks can also stop with little warning. See what to do when your payments stopped or your claim was denied.
How a Texas Workers Comp Appeal Works
If you lose at a hearing, you have 15 days to file an appeal. That is a short window, and it does not wait while you heal.
Your attorney files the appeal for you and makes your case on paper. Call as soon as the decision comes, so no time is lost.
What a Workers Comp Lawyer in Texas Charges
State law caps the fee at 25% of what you recover. You pay nothing up front, not for the review and not for the work.
No fee unless you win. The attorney is paid only out of money recovered for you.
Learn more about what a workers comp lawyer costs, or compare workers comp by state.
Questions injured workers ask
How much does workers comp pay in Texas?
Weekly checks are 70% of your average weekly wage. For injuries from Oct 1, 2026 through Sept 30, 2027, the cap is $1,314 a week.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Texas?
Tell your employer within 30 days. File your claim within one year of the injury. Call us first, and your attorney helps you meet both.
How long do Texas temporary benefits last?
They stop when you reach maximum medical improvement, or 104 weeks after they start. Impairment checks may follow, at 3 weeks for each rating point.
What do I do if my Texas workers comp claim is denied?
Before anything else, call us for the free case review. A Texas attorney reviews the denial and moves fast, since a hearing appeal has only 15 days.
How much does a Texas workers comp lawyer cost?
Nothing up front. The fee is capped at 25% of what you recover, and there is no fee unless you win.
Reviewed 8/22/2026