When a firefighter gets pulled from a collapsed structure or a police officer is shot in the line of duty, most people assume the state will take care of them. That assumption doesn’t always hold up. A recent CBS News investigation found dozens of Texas first responders describing a workers’ compensation system that denies, delays, and drags out claims for injuries sustained protecting their communities.
A System Built on Delay
Fort Worth firefighter Caleb Halvorson was crushed beneath a collapsing garage while fighting a two-alarm fire in September 2025. He came home with severe burns and a long road of surgeries ahead. Instead of a smooth recovery, his family said workers’ compensation denied and delayed pieces of his care. After his story spread, more than two dozen other first responders came forward with similar accounts.
Some of what they described included:
- Multiple denial letters requiring doctors to resubmit documentation
- Fights over which surgeon or specialist could treat them
- Months-long waits for approval on necessary procedures
- Out-of-pocket bills piling up despite injuries suffered in the line of duty
State records show that since 2021, over 507,000 workers’ compensation claims have been filed in Texas, with roughly 16% receiving an initial denial, according to reporting from CBS News Texas. The Texas State Association of Fire Fighters said denial rates for first responders have improved from around 90 percent a decade ago to roughly 40 percent today. That’s progress, but it still leaves a large share of injured workers stuck fighting for care they’re owed.
How a Workers’ Comp Claim Moves Through the System
When a city employee is hurt, a claim goes to the city’s insurance carrier, which decides whether treatment gets approved. If it’s denied, the injured worker can appeal through the Division of Workers’ Compensation. That process takes time. And for someone recovering from burns, broken bones, or a gunshot wound, time is exactly what they don’t have to spare.
An Arlington on the job injury case looks a little different depending on the city and its carrier, but the frustration first responders describe is consistent across departments. Whether it’s Fort Worth, Dallas, or Arlington, injured workers say the appeals process feels adversarial rather than supportive, even when the injury is undisputed.
If you or someone in your family has been hurt on the job in North Texas, you don’t have to fight a denial alone. Our Arlington, TX on the job injury lawyer has represented workers dealing with an injury and the paperwork battles that come with it, and we understand how these claims are supposed to work when the system functions the way it should.
At Brandy Austin Law Firm, we help injured workers push back against unfair denials and delays. If your workers’ compensation claim has been denied or you’re struggling to get approval for necessary treatment, reach out to discuss your options and find out what steps you can take next.