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Dallas-Fort Worth and surrounding suburbs are booming. Nearby Princeton is the fastest-growing city in the US. Nearby Celina, Melissa, Anna, and Fate are seeing significant growth as well. Dallas itself also continues to expand. Economic growth means more construction – and more construction means a risk of more injuries.
If you or someone you love is injured on a construction site, talk to a knowledgeable attorney today. The team at Chandler Ross PLLC can help.
Construction: A Booming Business in Dallas
Construction is a common sight in Dallas. Many businesses expand their Dallas operations or build new ones each year. The Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office promotes Texas as a premier business location and announces major business relocations and expansions in the state.
Some major construction projects announced for Dallas in coming years include a major regional office for Scotiabank. Scotiabank expects this office to support over 1,000 jobs. John Paul Mitchell Systems (JPMS) also plans to expand its corporate headquarters in Dallas County, adding more space. In Fort Worth, Embraer and MTU Aero Engines AG both plan expansions and new facilities.
Road construction is common in Dallas as well. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintains a list of ongoing road construction projects. TxDOT updates this list weekly. The list also names planned projects within the next few years. Just a few projects planned and underway in Dallas include:
- Installing traffic management systems on I-345 between I-30 and SS 336,
- Bridge maintenance on I-45 near Trinity River,
- Added lighting on SL-12 between US-175 and John West.
Dozens of other projects are slated for Dallas as well, including new neighborhoods and urban structures like bridges and bike paths. These construction projects transform Dallas – but they also pose risks to workers.
Construction Injury Statistics in Texas
In 2024, Texas reported 172,800 non-fatal injuries among all workers. These included hundreds of construction workers.
Most states reported higher injury rates than Texas in 2024. That year, Texas reported 1.7 injuries per 100 workers across all industries. The national rate in 2024 was 2.3 injuries per 100 workers.
Construction workers are among those injured in Texas every year. In 2024, Texas’s construction injury rate was 0.9 injuries per 100 construction workers. These cases included injuries so severe that workers had to take time off to recover. They also included cases where a worker had to switch to lighter work or accept a shorter schedule. When construction workers have to take time off or limit their efforts, they can also face lower pay, and the household hardships that come with it.
Construction workers reported non-fatal injuries at a lower rate than the Texas average in 2024. But construction is still one of the most dangerous occupations. When injuries happen, they’re more likely to be fatal. In 2024, 125 construction workers died from work-related injuries in Texas. Workers doing construction in oil, gas, mining, and lumber industries recorded another 130 deaths.
Common Construction Site Injuries and Causes
Construction sites can be dangerous places to work. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists four “top causes” of harm. These causes include falls, electrocution, being struck by something, or getting caught in or between equipment or objects.
In 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found the top causes of death on construction sites included:
- Transportation incidents. Six Texas construction workers died in car accidents and similar situations in 2024.
- Explosions and fires. 53 construction workers suffered fatal injuries in fires.
- Falls, slips, and trips. Four construction workers fell to their deaths at work in 2024.
- Exposure to harmful substances and environments. 48 Texas construction workers suffered fatal injuries from extreme temperatures, poisonous chemicals, and similar exposures.
- Contact incidents. 56 construction workers died in 2024 from being pinned or trapped by materials, equipment, or debris.
Construction workers can also face other risks. An attorney can help if you or a loved one were injured on a job site.
Workers’ Compensation and Construction Injuries in Dallas
When a severe injury happens, the bills pile up fast. Medical care is expensive. It’s even tougher to pay for when you’re out of work and can’t earn income. Covering food, utilities, and other costs can be difficult as well.
Workers’ compensation exists to help injured workers and their families after a job-related injury. Workers’ compensation applies to employees if their employer pays for insurance or is self-insured. In Texas, workers’ comp provides four types of benefits.
Medical benefits cover medical care for your injuries. These benefits pay for “reasonable and necessary” medical care.
Income benefits help replace money you lost if your injury stops you from working. Different types of income benefits apply, depending on how long you’re out of work. There are also benefits that apply if your injury prevents you from working again or has caused certain types of permanent damage.
Burial and death benefits both apply if a construction injury causes death. If you’ve lost a loved one, you can seek help for funeral costs with burial benefits. You can also seek benefits to help replace your loved one’s income, so you can keep supporting your household.
After a serious injury or a loved one’s death, it’s tough to know where to turn. Workers’ compensation benefits might be available – and they might be tough to get. When you’re dealing with injuries, handling paperwork and phone calls can feel like too much.
Third-Party Construction Site Injury Claims
Workers’ compensation makes it easier to get benefits if you’re covered. But what if an outside party, not your boss or co-workers, caused your injuries? What if you don’t have workers’ compensation coverage?
In these situations, you might have a third-party claim. This type of lawsuit can help you get the coverage you need.
Many Texas construction workers suffer injuries caused by an outside party. A construction worker can get hit by a car in a work zone. If this happens, the worker may have a case against the negligent driver. Hidden defects in tools or equipment can cause injuries – and the tools’ designer or maker might be liable. If an outside company drops materials on a construction worker during offloading, the company might be responsible.
Why should you think about a third-party claim? There are three benefits:
A third-party claim can cover your losses even if you don’t have workers’ compensation. Your employer might not have workers’ comp coverage. Or you might be a contractor who can’t access workers’ comp. Whatever the reason, if you can’t get benefits, a third-party case can help. Compensation can cover medical costs and lost wages – the things workers’ comp would have paid for if it covered you.
A third-party claim can seek benefits workers’ comp won’t pay. Whether or not you have workers’ comp benefits, those benefits won’t pay for everything. For instance, workers’ comp doesn’t pay compensation for your physical pain and suffering, the emotional challenge of disfigurement, or the loss of activities you used to love. A third-party lawsuit can ensure you get compensation for these losses.
A third-party claim holds negligent parties accountable. Speeding drivers in construction zones put everyone at risk. A hidden defect in a tool could hurt hundreds of construction workers nationwide. Companies that don’t watch out for workers when they deliver to construction sites have no business being on site. Your case can hold negligent parties like these accountable – and prevent them from harming anyone else.
You can bring a third-party claim whether or not you have workers’ comp coverage. Workers’ compensation cases and third-party cases can affect one another. Talk to a lawyer about your options.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
You have thirty days to file a workers’ compensation claim, starting on the date of your injury. You can give notice to anyone who supervises or does management at your workplace.
For a third-party lawsuit, you have two years from the date of your injury to file the case. If you don’t file the case within two years, you lose your right to file.
Meeting these deadlines can be tough. It’s even harder when you have a serious injury or you’re mourning the loss of a loved one. Talk to a Dallas construction injury lawyer to learn more.
Speak to the Team at Chandler Ross Today
Construction work plays a vital role in Dallas’s economy and daily life. Without construction workers, Dallas residents and visitors would not have the buildings, roads, sidewalks, and other places they rely on every day.
An injury brings all your hard work to a halt. An attorney can help you get life moving again by:
- Investigating your injuries and identifying who is responsible,
- Handling delayed or denied workers’ comp claims,
- Fighting to maximize your benefits,
- Ensuring you meet necessary deadlines,
- Representing your legal interests in both workers’ compensation and any other related legal matters,
- Answering your questions and ensuring your voice is heard throughout the process.
If you’ve been injured in construction, don’t wait. Talk to a knowledgeable Dallas construction injury lawyer today. The team at Chandler Ross PLLC is here to help.