Workers' Compensation Injury Care

Work injuries we treat

• Back and neck injuries from lifting, pushing or pulling
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Falls and slips at work
• Injuries from work vehicle accidents
• Shoulder, knee and wrist injuries

Experience with work injury programs

Dr. Stowe is experienced in assessing injured workers and has served as a Texas Designated Doctor and a California Qualified Medical Evaluator. Our team understands the forms, the work status reports and the documentation that workers' compensation claims require.

What should you do in the first 24 hours after a work injury in Texas?

Get emergency care first if you need it, then tell your supervisor what happened, in writing if you can. Ask whether your employer carries workers' compensation and whether the claim uses a certified network. Then book an evaluation so your injury is examined and recorded while the details are fresh.

Write down the date, the time, where you were and what you were doing. Note anyone who saw it happen. If a machine, a load or a floor surface was involved, a quick photo on your phone can help you describe it later. These notes are for you, and they make it easier to answer questions from the insurance carrier without guessing.

Keep copies of anything you sign or receive. That includes incident reports, emails from human resources and letters from the carrier. A simple folder, paper or digital, saves a lot of stress when a claim runs for weeks.

• Report the injury to your employer
• Ask who the workers' comp carrier is
• Find out whether a health care network applies
• Schedule an exam and keep every document

Which workers' comp system covers your injury?

Most private and local government employees in Texas fall under the Texas workers' compensation system run by the Division of Workers' Compensation. Civilian federal employees, including postal workers, are covered by FECA through the U.S. Department of Labor. Some Texas employers opt out entirely, and those injuries follow different rules.

The system matters because it decides which forms you file, which doctors you can see and how your care is paid. A mail carrier in Carrollton and a warehouse worker in Grand Prairie may have nearly the same back injury and still follow completely different paths.

If you are not sure which group you belong to, your human resources office or injury compensation specialist can usually tell you in a few minutes. You can also call us and we will help you sort out which page on this site fits your situation.

• Texas workers' compensation: most subscribing private employers and public employers in Texas
• FECA: U.S. Postal Service and most other civilian federal employees
• Nonsubscriber employers: private employers who chose not to carry Texas workers' comp

How does Spine Health & Wellness support injured workers?

We examine you, explain what we find, and build a treatment plan aimed at getting you back to work safely. Our team keeps the paperwork moving too, including work status reports and clear visit notes, so your employer and the insurance carrier have what they need to understand your recovery.

Under one roof you can find chiropractic care, physical therapy and rehabilitation, with a medical director overseeing diagnostic and treatment protocols. When an injury needs something we do not provide, such as surgery or advanced imaging, we refer you to the right specialist and keep the records connected.

Dr. Stowe's background includes service as a Texas Designated Doctor and a California Qualified Medical Evaluator. That experience shapes how our team documents an injury: specific findings, consistent measurements and plain explanations of how your symptoms connect to your job.

You will also know what to expect. At each stage we tell you what we are treating, why, and what would change the plan. Injured workers often feel like the claim happens to them. Clear information at every visit helps you stay in charge of your own recovery.

Patients come to our Irving, Bedford, Grapevine, Arlington, Carrollton and Fort Worth clinics from across Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties, so many can choose a location close to home or work.

Where can you get free help with a work injury claim?

In Texas, the Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC) offers free help to injured employees, and its ombudsmen assist workers without an attorney in claim disputes. You can reach OIEC at (866) 393-6432. Federal employees can contact the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs directly.

Your employer's human resources team can answer questions about reporting and light duty. The Texas Department of Insurance publishes plain language guides for injured employees on its website. For questions about your legal rights, a denied claim or a nonsubscriber employer, talking to an attorney is often the right next step.

We are healthcare providers, not lawyers, so we cannot tell you what your claim is worth or how a dispute will turn out. What we can do is treat you and give you accurate records to share with whoever is helping you.

Keep a short list of every person you speak with about the claim, with the date and what was said. Adjusters change, phone calls blur together, and a simple log makes it much easier for an ombudsman or attorney to understand your situation quickly.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general information, not legal advice. For questions about a claim, talk to an attorney or the agency that handles your claim.