Hurt at work in Fort Worth: workers' comp deadlines and when to find a lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

Hurt at work in Fort Worth? Tell your employer within 30 days1 and file with the state within one year.2 For claim help, call the Division of Workers' Compensation at 800-252-7031, option 1.3 Most private Texas employers can choose whether to carry coverage, so check yours first.4

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Road map of north Fort Worth showing I-35W toward Alliance Airport, a center of freight and warehouse jobs
Texas gives you 30 days to tell your employer about a work injury. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Does my Fort Worth employer have workers' comp?

Do not assume it does. Texas lets most private employers choose.4 Employers that opt out are required to tell their employees and the state.5 Look at the poster in the break room, and ask human resources in writing. If you still cannot tell, email [email protected] with the employer's name, address and your injury date.6

Public jobs are simpler. All Texas governmental entities, including cities, counties, school districts and utilities, must have coverage.7 So a City of Fort Worth or Tarrant County worker should have a comp claim even if a co-worker caused the injury.

How long do I have to report a work injury in Fort Worth?

StepDeadlineWho gets it
Tell your employerWithin 30 days1A supervisor. Put it in writing and save a copy.
File your workers' comp claimWithin one year, with limited exceptions2The state's Division of Workers' Compensation
Sue an outside party or a non-subscriberGenerally 2 years8Court
Claim against the City of Fort Worth as an outside partyWritten notice in 180 days, unless you show good cause9HR/Risk Management, 200 Texas Street10

Those first 30 days pass quickly, especially for injuries that build slowly, such as a bad back or a damaged shoulder. Report it the day you connect it to the job, even if you are hoping it gets better.

Where can I get workers' comp help in Fort Worth?

OfficeWhat it doesHow to reach it
Division of Workers' Compensation, Fort Worth officeRuns the claims system150 Westpark Way, Suite 345, Euless11. 800-252-7031, option 13
Office of Injured Employee CounselFree ombudsman help with disputes12Same Euless address13. 866-393-643214
OSHA Fort Worth Area OfficeFederal workplace safety for private employers8713 Airport Freeway, Suite 302, (817) 428-247015
State Safety Violations HotlineTakes reports of dangerous conditions800-452-959516

Note that the Fort Worth office of the state agencies is actually in Euless, so check the address before you drive. An OIEC ombudsman can explain the process, help you talk to the insurer and go with you to a hearing, but cannot act as your lawyer.17

Can I sue my employer for a work injury in Fort Worth?

That depends on the coverage question. If your employer has workers' comp, those benefits are usually your only claim against the employer or a co-worker.18

If your employer has no workers' comp, you can sue. It generally cannot blame you, a co-worker or the risk of the job, but you must prove the employer was negligent.19 That can be a stronger position than it sounds, and a lawyer who handles non-subscriber cases can look at yours.

What if someone else caused my job injury in Fort Worth?

You can claim workers' comp and also sue the outside party who caused your injury.20 This comes up often in a freight town. Trucks carry 79.24 percent of the goods moving through North Texas, and Tarrant County had 2,183 commercial vehicle crashes in 2025.2122 A delivery driver rear-ended on I-35W may have both a comp claim and a claim against the other driver.

Warehouse and yard work around Alliance Airport brings its own outside parties, such as equipment makers and other companies' drivers.23 If you work for a railroad such as BNSF, ask a lawyer first, because federal law may apply instead of Texas comp.24 We did not review those federal rules here.

Road crews face the same kinds of risk. TxDOT's Southeast Connector is rebuilding about 16 miles of I-20 and I-820, and a worker hit by a passing driver may have an outside claim.25 If you were hurt in a crash on the job, the report comes through TxDOT's CRIS site for $6, usually within 14 days for Fort Worth Police.262728

How many workers get hurt in Fort Worth?

We could not find a current count of workplace injuries for the City of Fort Worth or Tarrant County from an official source. If your workplace has a pattern of injuries, write down what you have seen, and consider reporting it to OSHA or the state hotline.1516

What should I do about medical care after a work injury in Fort Worth?

  1. Get seen right away, and tell the doctor it happened at work. JPS and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth are both Level I trauma centers for severe injuries.2930
  2. Ask your employer for the name of its workers' comp insurer.
  3. Keep every work note and restriction. Give copies to your supervisor.
  4. Request your records. Mail a JPS request to 1500 S. Main Street, or go online with Texas Health's Versima service.3132
  5. Do not sign a release or a statement about how you got hurt until you understand what it says.

What should I ask a workers' comp lawyer in Fort Worth?

  • Is my employer a subscriber, and how did you confirm it?
  • Is there an outside company or driver I could also claim against?
  • Have I already missed the 30-day or one-year deadline, and is there an exception?
  • What will you do that the free ombudsman cannot?

Questions

How long do I have to report a work injury in Texas?

You must tell your employer within 30 days.1 You must file with the state within one year, with limited exceptions.2

Where is the workers' comp office for Fort Worth?

The state lists it at 150 Westpark Way, Suite 345, in Euless.11

Is there free help with a Texas workers' comp dispute?

Yes. OIEC services, including ombudsman help, cost nothing.12 Call 866-393-6432.14

Can I sue if my Fort Worth employer has no comp?

Yes, but you must prove negligence. The employer generally cannot blame you, a co-worker or the risk of the job.19

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Fort Worth

Hurt at work

Texas

Sources

  1. Tex. Lab. Code § 409.001(a), checked 2026-11-08. “shall notify the employer of the employee of an injury not later than the 30th day after the date on which: (1) the injury occurs;”
  2. Tex. Lab. Code § 409.003, checked 2026-11-08. “shall file with the division a claim for compensation for an injury not later than one year after the date on which: (1) the injury occurred;”
  3. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “Call and speak to a customer assistant at 800-252-7031, option 1.”
  4. Tex. Lab. Code § 406.002(a), checked 2026-11-08. “Except for public employers and as otherwise provided by law, an employer may elect to obtain workers' compensation insurance coverage.”
  5. Texas Department of Insurance, Coverage Verification, checked 2026-11-08. “Employers that choose not to provide workers’ compensation coverage to their employees must notify their employees and DWC.”
  6. Texas Department of Insurance, Coverage Verification, checked 2026-11-08. “If you can’t determine whether an employer has coverage, email [email protected]”
  7. Texas Department of Insurance, Coverage Verification, checked 2026-11-08. “All Texas governmental entities (public school, utility, city, or county) must have workers’ compensation coverage.”
  8. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  9. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”
  10. City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “HR/Risk Management 200 Texas Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102”
  11. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “Fort Worth | 150 Westpark Way, Suite 345 Euless, TX 76040-3708”
  12. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Ombudsman Services, checked 2026-11-08. “All OIEC services, including ombudsman services, are provided at no cost.”
  13. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Offices, checked 2026-11-08. “Fort Worth Field Office 150 Westpark Way, Suite 345 Euless, TX 76040-3708”
  14. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “All field offices can be reached at [email protected] or 866-393-6432.”
  15. OSHA, Texas Area Offices, checked 2026-11-08. “8713 Airport Freeway, Suite 302 Fort Worth, TX 76180-7610 (817) 428-2470”
  16. Texas Department of Insurance, DWC Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “Safety Violations Hotline | 800-452-9595”
  17. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Ombudsman Services, checked 2026-11-08. “An ombudsman can assist you, but cannot represent you”
  18. Tex. Lab. Code § 408.001(a), checked 2026-11-08. “Recovery of workers' compensation benefits is the exclusive remedy of an employee covered by workers' compensation insurance coverage or a legal beneficiary against the employer or an agent or employee of the employer for the death of or a work-related injury sustained by the employee.”
  19. Tex. Lab. Code § 406.033(a), (d), checked 2026-11-08. “it is not a defense that: (1) the employee was guilty of contributory negligence; (2) the employee assumed the risk of injury or death; or (3) the injury or death was caused by the negligence of a fellow employee. [...] the plaintiff must prove negligence of the employer or of an agent or servant of the employer”
  20. Tex. Lab. Code § 417.001(a), checked 2026-11-08. “An employee or legal beneficiary may seek damages from a third party who is or becomes liable to pay damages for an injury or death that is compensable under this subtitle and may also pursue a claim for workers' compensation benefits under this subtitle.”
  21. NCTCOG, Freight Movement Quick Take, May 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “transporting 79.24% of goods being shipped to and from the region”
  22. TxDOT, 2025 Commercial Motor Vehicle Involved Crashes by County, checked 2026-11-08. “Tarrant 15 16 63 71 277 369 265 435 1,546 5,685 17 203 2,183”
  23. NCTCOG, General Freight Planning, checked 2026-11-08. “Notable tenants include Amazon, BNSF Railway, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FedEx, and Rolls Royce.”
  24. NCTCOG, General Freight Planning, checked 2026-11-08. “BNSF Railway’s Intermodal and Carload Transportation Center located near Alliance Airport”
  25. TxDOT, Southeast Connector, checked 2026-11-08. “rebuild and widen approximately 16 miles of I-20 and I-820”
  26. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Effective December 15, 2024, requestors should use the website below to request an accident report(s)”
  27. Fort Worth Police, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “for $6.00. If your search for a report returns no results, the report has not been approved.”
  28. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “It can take up to 14 days from the date of the crash for your crash to appear in the search results.”
  29. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  30. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  31. JPS Health Network, Patient Records, checked 2026-11-08. “JPS Health Network Health Information Management 1500 S. Main Street Fort Worth, TX 76104”
  32. Texas Health, Request Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Texas Health has partnered with Versima”

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