If you suffer an injury on the job in Texas, it's vital to recognize your right to pursue workers' comp benefits. Having workers' compensation benefits can be helpful whenever you are out of work, have medical bills, and need help making a living as you recover from your injury.

However, these benefits are often dependent on numerous factors. If you're unsure of how much you may recover, you should speak with an attorney about your case. Some base factors can play a role, though, and it often relies on the following:

• Your income
• Your impairment rating
• Your disability (temporary vs. lifetime)

Below, we'll help you understand how to calculate how much you may recover, what can impact how long you recover compensation for, and what you can do if workers' compensation insurance companies try to minimize or deny your claim.

The days that follow a severe crash can create confusion. You may not be sure what to expect through the process, and insurance adjusters are quick to find any options to minimize how much you can recover. Preparation is important, so having a clear understanding of what to expect can go a long way.

At The Edwards Law Firm, it's part of our duty to ensure you are fully aware of your rights and options in a car accident claim. As such, we think it is vital to provide you with information to get you through the process as smoothly as possible.

Here are 5 important things you should know about filing a claim:

Experiencing a car accident is difficult enough on its own. Having to deal with insurance adjusters and report your accident can be challenging when you have to endure physical and emotional hardships, as well as financial problems. In the midst of all these problems, it can be easy to make a mistake when reporting your accident, but there are a few things you should know to avoid.

Apologizing

If you apologize for the accident, insurance adjusters are quick to call this an admission of fault. They'll say that you are apologizing for your actions and the accident, claiming that you are the party who caused it to occur. While you may feel bad about what happened, you don't want to apologize at the risk of having it taken out of context.

Saying You Think

Uncertainty can play a role against you when filing your claim. Saying you think something happened but your not sure can lead to insurance adjusters denying your claim. It's even more dangerous when your uncertain statements contradict your initial accident report.

When you file a workers' compensation claim, there is often an end date by which insurance companies want to stop providing benefits. In most situations, this end date is when you're able to return to work. However, in order to determine your ability to return to work, a doctor must determine when you reach your maximum medical improvement.

Because your benefits are important to your ability to move forward after a workplace injury, you should know how the MMI impacts your claim. Below, we'll explain what it is and what happens when you reach it.

Your Maximum Medical Improvement

Your MMI is defined as the point at which your injuries have stabilized, and you will no longer experience any improvement in your physical abilities and functionalities. Even if your injuries have not fully healed, your maximum medical improvement will reflect that your condition is final, and you won't be able to improve any further.

After a workplace injury, you may need to pursue workers' compensation benefits for your injuries and time off work. However, you should know that many claims require you to undergo medical examinations to determine how severe your injury is, whether you're able to work in any capacity, and how long you may be out of work.

An impairment rating can help your insurance provider ensure you have suffered a severe injury and can impact the benefits you recover. Below, we'll discuss the impairment rating and when it's necessary, so you know what to expect.

Your Impairment

Your impairment rating is based on a percentage between 0 and 100%. The higher the impairment rating, the more insurance companies will consider you disabled and unable to work effectively. In many situations, 50% is the threshold.