SERIOUS ATTORNEYS FOR SERIOUS INJURIES
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Construction work is one of the most physically demanding and dangerous jobs in Texas. If you were hurt on a Dallas-area construction site, you may have the right to pursue compensation beyond what workers’ compensation covers, depending on who was responsible for the accident. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is one of the fastest-growing construction markets in the country, and that growth comes with real risks for workers and bystanders alike. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, based in Denton, Texas, represents people seriously injured in construction accidents throughout the Dallas area. You can reach us directly at (940) 800-2500 for a free consultation.
Table of Contents
- Why Dallas Construction Accident Injuries Are So Serious
- Who Can Be Held Liable for a Dallas Construction Site Accident
- Texas Law and Federal OSHA Standards That Protect Construction Workers
- What Compensation Can You Recover After a Dallas Construction Accident
- How Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys Handles Dallas Construction Accident Cases
- FAQs About Dallas Construction Accident Lawyers
Why Dallas Construction Accident Injuries Are So Serious
Construction sites are among the most hazardous workplaces in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries recorded 1,069 construction worker deaths in 2024, and construction accounts for roughly 1 in 5 private-sector workplace deaths despite employing approximately 8% of the workforce. Those numbers reflect a consistent and troubling pattern that affects workers here in Texas every single day.
In Texas specifically, the picture is equally serious. The construction industry recorded 126 fatal occupational injuries in 2023, representing 22% of all workplace fatalities in the state. That means Texas construction workers face a disproportionately high risk of being killed or seriously injured on the job.
OSHA identifies what it calls the “Fatal Four” as the leading causes of construction deaths. The Fatal Four are falls (33.5%), struck-by incidents (11.4%), electrocution (8.4%), and caught-in/between accidents (5.4%), which together account for approximately 58.6% of all construction fatalities. Each of these hazards is common on Dallas-area job sites, from high-rise projects near Uptown to infrastructure work along I-35E through Denton County.
Falls from scaffolding, being struck by a swinging crane load, electrocution from exposed wiring, and getting caught between heavy equipment are all preventable. When employers and contractors ignore safety rules, people pay the price with their lives or their health. If you or a loved one suffered this kind of injury near Dallas or anywhere in the greater Denton area, our personal injury lawyers at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys are ready to review your case at no charge.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Dallas Construction Site Accident
Multiple parties can share legal responsibility for a construction accident, and identifying each one is critical to recovering full compensation. Construction projects involve general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, and design professionals, all of whom may have contributed to the conditions that caused your injury.
Texas law does not require most private employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. According to the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation, private employers in Texas can choose whether to carry workers’ compensation coverage. Employers who opt out are called “non-subscribers.” If your employer is a non-subscriber and you were injured, you can file a direct negligence lawsuit against them, and they lose the right to raise several common defenses that are otherwise available to employers under Texas law.
Even if your employer does carry workers’ compensation, you may still have a claim against a third party. For example, if a subcontractor’s crew created a hazardous condition that caused your fall, or if a defective piece of equipment failed and injured you, those parties can be sued separately. This is often where the most significant compensation comes from, because third-party claims are not limited the same way workers’ compensation benefits are.
Property owners also carry liability when they control the job site and fail to maintain safe conditions. Under Texas premises liability principles, a property owner who invites workers onto their land has a duty to warn of known dangers and to keep the site reasonably safe. Think of a large commercial development near the Dallas North Tollway or a residential construction project off Highway 380 in Denton, where site owners often maintain significant control over the work being done.
Sorting out who is responsible requires a thorough investigation. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can help you identify every potentially liable party so that no source of compensation is left on the table.
Texas Law and Federal OSHA Standards That Protect Construction Workers
Construction workers in Texas are protected by both federal and state law. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, sets mandatory safety standards for construction sites under 29 CFR Part 1926. Fall protection under 29 CFR 1926.501 is the most frequently cited OSHA standard in construction, along with ladder safety under 29 CFR 1926.1053 and scaffolding requirements under 29 CFR 1926.451. When a contractor violates these standards and a worker gets hurt, that violation is powerful evidence of negligence in a personal injury claim.
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003, the general deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of the injury. Missing this deadline typically means losing your right to sue entirely. There are limited exceptions, but you should never assume one applies to your situation without speaking to an attorney first.
If a construction accident results in death, the victim’s family may bring a wrongful death claim under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71. Under Section 71.002, a person is liable for damages arising from a death if the injury was caused by that person’s or their agent’s wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, or unskillfulness. This statute allows surviving spouses, children, and parents to seek compensation for their losses. These claims arise more often than most people realize, given how many fatal construction accidents occur in the Dallas-Fort Worth area each year.
Federal maritime law also applies in certain construction contexts. Under 33 U.S.C. Section 905(b) of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, a vessel owner can be held liable for negligence to injured workers in maritime-adjacent construction settings, and the law explicitly bars defenses based on a fellow servant’s negligence, assumption of risk, or contributory negligence by the employee. While this applies in specific circumstances, it demonstrates that federal law can provide strong protections in the right cases.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Dallas Construction Accident
A serious construction injury can cost you far more than your medical bills. Lost wages, long-term disability, pain and suffering, and the impact on your family’s quality of life are all real losses that Texas law allows you to pursue in a personal injury lawsuit.
Economic damages cover the concrete financial losses you can document. These include emergency room and hospital costs, surgery, physical therapy, prescription medications, future medical care if your injury is permanent, and all wages you lost while unable to work. If your injury prevents you from returning to your prior occupation, you can also claim the difference in future earning capacity.
Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that do not come with a receipt. Physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and the strain your injury places on your relationships are all compensable under Texas law. For catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or severe burn injuries, these damages can be substantial. The same principles that apply to claims handled by a Dallas catastrophic injury attorney apply here, because construction accidents frequently produce life-altering harm.
If your employer or a contractor acted with gross negligence, meaning they consciously disregarded a known and substantial risk of serious harm, Texas law may also allow exemplary (punitive) damages. These are designed to punish especially reckless conduct and deter others from acting the same way.
Every case is different, and past results in other matters do not guarantee any particular outcome in your case. What matters is building the strongest possible claim based on the specific facts, evidence, and applicable law. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys works to pursue every category of damages available to our clients under Texas law.
How Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys Handles Dallas Construction Accident Cases
Acting quickly after a construction accident protects your claim. Evidence disappears fast on active job sites. Scaffolding gets repositioned, equipment gets repaired or replaced, and witnesses move on to other projects. The sooner an attorney gets involved, the better the chance of preserving the physical and documentary evidence needed to prove what happened and who was responsible.
Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is based in Denton, Texas, and serves clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including workers injured on job sites near downtown Dallas, the Design District, Deep Ellum, and along major construction corridors like the Dallas North Tollway, Loop 12, and I-35E. We know the local courts, including Denton County District Court and Dallas County courts, and we understand how Texas juries evaluate these cases.
Our approach involves a thorough investigation from the start. We gather OSHA inspection records, employer safety logs, equipment maintenance records, witness statements, and site photographs. We work with qualified experts when needed to reconstruct accidents and establish the cause. We also check employer coverage status through the Texas Department of Insurance to determine whether your employer is a workers’ compensation subscriber or a non-subscriber, because that changes your legal options significantly.
We handle construction accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. There are no upfront costs and no hourly fees. You focus on your recovery while we focus on your case. Call us at (940) 800-2500 to speak with someone today, or reach out through our website. The consultation is free, and there is no obligation.
FAQs About Dallas Construction Accident Lawyers
Can I sue my employer if I was hurt on a Dallas construction site?
It depends on whether your employer carries workers’ compensation insurance. In Texas, private employers are not required to carry workers’ compensation coverage. If your employer opted out and is a “non-subscriber,” you can file a direct negligence lawsuit against them, and they cannot use defenses like assumption of risk or a fellow employee’s negligence. If your employer does carry workers’ compensation, your direct claim against them is generally limited, but you may still have a separate claim against a third party, such as a subcontractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer.
How long do I have to file a construction accident lawsuit in Texas?
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003, you generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. If the accident resulted in a death, the surviving family members also have two years from the date of death to bring a wrongful death claim under Chapter 71 of the same code. Missing this deadline almost always means losing your right to recover compensation, so contact an attorney as soon as possible after your accident.
What if I was a bystander, not a worker, when I was injured on a Dallas construction site?
Bystanders and passersby can also be seriously hurt by construction accidents. Flying debris, falling materials, and unsecured scaffolding can injure pedestrians on sidewalks, drivers on nearby roads, and people in adjacent buildings. If you were injured as a bystander, you are not subject to the workers’ compensation system at all, and you can bring a direct negligence or premises liability claim against the responsible contractor or property owner. Your claim would be evaluated under the same Texas personal injury standards that apply to any other negligence case.
What is the “Fatal Four” and why does it matter for my claim?
OSHA’s “Fatal Four” refers to the four leading causes of construction worker deaths: falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in/between accidents. Together, these four hazard categories account for more than half of all construction fatalities each year. They matter for your claim because OSHA has specific, detailed safety regulations designed to prevent each of them. When a contractor or employer violates those regulations and a worker gets hurt as a result, that violation is strong evidence of negligence in a Texas personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
Does Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys handle construction accident cases outside of Denton?
Yes. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys represents clients injured in construction accidents throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, including Dallas County, Denton County, Tarrant County, and surrounding areas. While our office is based in Denton, Texas, we handle cases arising from job sites across the region. All attorneys at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys are licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. If you were hurt on a construction site anywhere in the greater Dallas area, call us at (940) 800-2500 to discuss your case at no charge.
