Sec. 417.001. THIRD-PARTY LIABILITY. (a) 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.

(b) If a benefit is claimed by an injured employee or a legal beneficiary of the employee, the insurance carrier is subrogated to the rights of the injured employee and may enforce the liability of the third party in the name of the injured employee or the legal beneficiary. The insurance carrier's subrogation interest is limited to the amount of the total benefits paid or assumed by the carrier to the employee or the legal beneficiary, less the amount by which the court reduces the judgment based on the percentage of responsibility determined by the trier of fact under Section 33.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, attributable to the employer. If the recovery is for an amount greater than the amount of the insurance carrier's subrogation interest, the insurance carrier shall:

(1) reimburse itself and pay the costs from the amount recovered; and

(2) pay the remainder of the amount recovered to the injured employee or the legal beneficiary.

(c) If a claimant receives benefits from the subsequent injury fund, the division is:

(1) considered to be the insurance carrier under this section for purposes of those benefits;

(2) subrogated to the rights of the claimant; and

(3) entitled to reimbursement in the same manner as the insurance carrier.

(d) The division shall remit money recovered under this section to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the subsequent injury fund.

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1423, Sec. 12.13, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 204, Sec. 4.09, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 265 (H.B. 7), Sec. 3.285, eff. September 1, 2005.