What Are the Chances That Your Employer Is a Texas Non-Subscriber?

If you work in the private sector in Dallas or anywhere in North Texas, there’s a 1 in 4 chance your employer does not carry traditional workers’ compensation insurance—and is instead classified as a Texas Non-Subscriber.

Industries with the highest rates of Non-Subscriber employers include:

• Healthcare
• Education
• Wholesale and Retail Trade
• Transportation
• Arts and Entertainment
• Hospitality and Food Services

So if you work for a major grocery chain, retailer, hotel, or restaurant, there’s a strong chance your employer has opted out of the Texas Workers’ Compensation system.

Texas remains the only state that allows private employers to opt out and manage their own work injury programs—electing what’s called Non-Subscriber status. According to the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation, as of 2018, nearly 28% of private sector employers (roughly 105,000 companies) are Non-Subscribers—and that number continues to grow.

Texas Non-Subscribers Companies

Is Your Employer’s Coverage Actually Workers’ Comp—or Something Else?

If you’ve heard that your employer doesn’t have workers’ comp, but says they’ll cover your medical costs and lost wages, it’s likely they’re a Non-Subscriber. Many injured employees don’t realize this until it’s too late—especially if they’re being guided by insurance adjusters or company doctors.

Even though most Non-Subscribers are small businesses, nearly 1 in 5 large employers in Texas—those with 500+ employees—do not participate in the workers’ comp system. These employers believe they can reduce costs and control benefits more efficiently by handling claims outside of the traditional structure.

Why Does It Matter If Your Employer Is a Non-Subscriber?

The rights of injured workers differ significantly between traditional workers’ comp and Non-Subscriber cases. If your employer has workers’ comp, you cannot sue them, even if their negligence caused your injury. But if your employer is a Texas Non-Subscriber, you may have the right to file a lawsuit if your injury was caused by unsafe working conditions or employer negligence.

Non-Subscriber employers also lose legal protections, including limits on liability under the Texas Labor Code. That means your employer can’t claim you were partially at fault just to reduce or deny your claim.

Injured Working for a Texas Non-Subscriber? Don’t Wait. Get Legal Help.

If you’ve been injured while working for a North Texas Non-Subscriber, don’t assume your employer, their insurance company, or their doctors are working in your best interest. Delays, denials, and misinformation are common tactics used to protect the company—not you.

The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to protect your rights, recover proper treatment, and secure the compensation you deserve.

At Sandoval Armstrong, PLLC, we fight to protect the rights of injured workers and their families throughout Dallas and North Texas.
Let North Texas Work Injury Attorneys Hector Sandoval and Warren Armstrong take the next step in your non-subscriber work injury case.

📞 Call us today at (214) 214-3777