Hurt at work in San Antonio: your deadlines, free state help, and finding a workers comp lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

If you were hurt at work in San Antonio, tell your employer within 30 days.1 File your claim with the state within one year.2 The state's San Antonio office is at 4440 S Piedras Drive, Suite 205,3 and DWC's help line is 800-252-7031, option 1.4 First find out whether your employer has coverage.5

See if you are owed money

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
Road map of San Antonio showing S. Piedras Drive, home of the state workers' compensation field office
Hurt at work in San Antonio? Tell your employer within 30 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Does my San Antonio employer have workers comp?

Do not assume it does. Most private Texas employers can choose whether to carry it,6 and the state itself says not all employers provide it, though most do.5 This one fact decides which path you are on.

Your employerWhat you can doWhat you give up or must prove
Has workers' compClaim benefits from the insurer7Those benefits are usually your only claim against the employer or a coworker8
Has no workers' compSue the employer9You must prove negligence, but the employer generally cannot blame you, a coworker or the risk of the job9
Either way, an outside party caused itSue that outside party too10Think of a driver, an equipment maker or another contractor

To check, ask human resources in writing, then call DWC at 800-252-7031, option 1.4 DWC regulates the system but does not pay benefits itself. Insurers pay them.

What are the workers comp deadlines in San Antonio?

  1. Tell your employer about the injury within 30 days.1 Do it in writing and keep a copy, even if your boss already saw it happen.
  2. Get medical care and say clearly that the injury came from work.
  3. Watch for a packet from DWC that includes Form-041, the employee's claim.7
  4. File your claim with the state within one year of the injury, with limited exceptions.2
  5. If your employer has no coverage, count the general 2-year limit to sue from the injury date.11

Do not assume your employer filed for you. If no packet comes, call DWC and ask.7 A missed notice is one of the easiest reasons for an insurer to fight a claim.

Where can I get workers comp help in San Antonio?

OfficeWhat it doesWhere
Texas Division of Workers' CompensationRegulates benefits and helps resolve disputes4440 S Piedras Drive, Suite 2053
Office of Injured Employee CounselFree services for injured employees12Same address13
OSHA San Antonio Area OfficeFederal workplace safety8200 W. Interstate 10, Suite 60514
State Safety Violations HotlineReport unsafe conditions800-452-959515

If you cannot afford a lawyer or just have questions about a dispute, start with the Office of Injured Employee Counsel. It can help without charging you, because injured employees in Texas have the right to free services from that office.12

What if I was hurt on a San Antonio construction site or on the road?

These often have more than one path. Bexar County had 3,847 work zone crashes in 2025, with 9 deaths.16 Commercial vehicles were involved in 2,581 crashes in the county that year.17 If you drive for work or work next to traffic, a careless driver is an outside party you may be able to sue while you collect comp.10

On a building site, ask who controlled the area where you were hurt. A general contractor, a subcontractor and an equipment supplier may each have played a part. Take photos of the scaffold, the guard or the tool, because job sites change quickly. Write down the names of the companies on the site. If the danger is ongoing, the OSHA office on I-10 can take a complaint at (210) 472-5040.14

We could not find an official count of workplace injuries for San Antonio alone. The numbers above come from road crash data, so they cover only part of the picture.

How do I keep my San Antonio medical records straight for a work injury?

Every visit note should say work caused this. If you went to University Hospital, its records office is at 210-358-3532, and mail requests go to 4502 Medical Drive.18 If an ambulance took you, ask for the SAFD EMS report, which usually takes about a week.19 A serious injury may send you to a Level I trauma center like University Hospital.20

Keep a folder with your pay stubs, schedules, photos, and every letter from the insurer. Insurers often send deadlines by mail, so update your address with DWC if you move.

Can I be fired for filing workers comp in San Antonio?

Talk to a lawyer quickly if you are fired, cut back or pressured not to report. Keep texts and write down what was said, by whom and when. Do not sign anything your employer hands you about the injury until you have read it and understand it.

What should I ask a workers comp lawyer in San Antonio?

  • Does my employer have coverage, and how do we confirm it?
  • Is there an outside party I can sue too?
  • If I lost a dispute, what is the next step at the DWC office?
  • How would a lawsuit in Bexar County work if my employer has no comp?21
  • How do you charge, and what will come out of my benefits?

Questions

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

Tell your employer within 30 days1 and file with the state within one year.2

Where is the workers comp office in San Antonio?

The state office is at 4440 S Piedras Drive, Suite 205.3

Can I sue my employer for a work injury in San Antonio?

If it has workers' comp, usually not.8 If it does not, you can sue and must prove negligence.9

Is there free help with a Texas workers comp claim?

Yes. Injured employees have the right to free services from the Office of Injured Employee Counsel.12

Find out if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Keep reading

San Antonio

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 contacts, checked 2026-11-08. “4440 S Piedras Drive, Suite 205”
  4. Texas Department of Insurance, Employee resources, checked 2026-11-08. “call DWC at 800-252-7031, option 1”
  5. Texas Department of Insurance, Employee resources, checked 2026-11-08. “Not all Texas employers provide workers' compensation insurance, but most do.”
  6. 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.”
  7. Texas Department of Insurance, Employee resources, checked 2026-11-08. “DWC Form-041, Employee's Claim for Compensation”
  8. 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.”
  9. 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”
  10. 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.”
  11. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  12. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “Injured employees in Texas have the right to free services from OIEC”
  13. Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Offices, checked 2026-11-08. “San Antonio Field Office 4440 S. Piedras Drive, Suite 205”
  14. OSHA, Texas area offices, checked 2026-11-08. “Fountainhead Tower 8200 W. Interstate 10, Suite 605”
  15. Texas Department of Insurance, Employee resources, checked 2026-11-08. “Safety Violations Hotline at 800-452-9595”
  16. TxDOT, 2025 Work Zone Crashes by County, checked 2026-11-08. “Bexar 8 9 42 57 512 727 533 828 2,670 7,819 82 770 3,847”
  17. TxDOT, 2025 CMV Involved Crashes and Injuries by County, checked 2026-11-08. “Bexar 12 16 32 37 277 390 213 368 2,013 6,207 34 407 2,581”
  18. University Health, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “For medical records, please call us at 210-358-3532”
  19. San Antonio Fire Department, EMS Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “typically available within a week after the incident”
  20. University Health, Trauma Care, checked 2026-11-08. “verified by the American College of Surgeons as both a Level I trauma center and a Level I pediatric trauma center”
  21. Bexar County District Clerk, Administration, checked 2026-11-08. “accepts all new suits and subsequent filings for civil”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money