State Office of Risk Management v. Lawton

In an effort to streamline workers’ compensation claim processing, the Legislature established time limits applicable to compensability disputes. See Act of Dec. 11, 1989, 71st Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 1, § 5.21(a), 1989 Tex. Gen. Laws 1, 51. These limits furthered “the legislative goal of providing employees with either prompt payment or notice of denial of benefits.” Cont’l Cas. Co. v. Downs, 81 S.W.3d 803, 806 (Tex.2002), overruled on other grounds by Sw. Bell Tel. Co. v. Mitchell, 276 S.W.3d 443, 448 (Tex.2008). Today we must decide whether the sixty-day period for challenging compensability…