If you were hurt on a construction site, a workers compensation claim may not be your only path to compensation, and it usually is not the one that makes you whole. When a third party caused your injury, you can often pursue a separate claim for the full damages comp does not pay. As a San Angelo construction accident lawyer, Scott Templeton knows how to find those claims.
Templeton Law Firm has represented injured workers across West Texas for more than 25 years. We look past the first, obvious answer to find every source of recovery for a serious job-site injury.
The consultation is free. Call (325) 482-9120 or contact us online.You pay nothing unless we recover.
Is Workers Compensation Your Only Option?
No, and this is the most important thing an injured construction worker can learn. Workers compensation may cover some of your medical bills and lost wages, but it does not pay for pain and suffering or the full value of your losses.
When someone other than your employer caused your injury, you can bring a separate third-party claim against them. That claim can recover the full damages workers compensation leaves on the table.
Texas also allows some workers to sue their own employer directly. If your employer does not carry workers compensation insurance, known as a non-subscriber, you may be able to sue them for negligence.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Construction Injury?
Construction sites are crowded with different companies, and any of them may share responsibility for an injury. Identifying every liable party is what separates a full recovery from a partial one.
Parties who may be liable in a third-party claim include:
- A general contractor who controlled site safety
- A subcontractor whose crew created the hazard
- The manufacturer of defective equipment or machinery
- The property owner, in certain situations
- A negligent driver on or near the site
Farrah, our case manager and a licensed insurance adjuster with more than 15 years in the field, understands how these overlapping insurance policies work. She helps make sure no responsible party, and no available coverage, gets overlooked.
Hurt on a job site? Call (325) 482-9120 or contact us online to find every source of recovery.
The OSHA Fatal Four Hazards
The Fatal Four are the four hazards that cause the majority of construction deaths, and federal safety rules target each one. Together they account for roughly 60 percent of construction worker fatalities in the United States.
The OSHA Fatal Four Construction Hazards
| Hazard | What It Involves |
| Falls | Falls from roofs, scaffolds, ladders, and elevated surfaces |
| Struck-by | Being hit by falling, swinging, or moving objects |
| Caught-in or between | Trench collapses, or being caught in or between equipment |
| Electrocution | Contact with power lines, wiring, or energized equipment |
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, identifies these four hazards as the leading dangers in construction and sets the safety standards meant to prevent them.
The Texas Department of Insurance, or TDI, also publishes guidance on the Fatal Four, noting that falls alone cause well over a third of construction deaths.
Common Causes of Construction Accidents
Most construction accidents trace back to a safety failure that should have been prevented. When a company ignores a known hazard or skips a required precaution, workers pay the price.
Common causes of job-site injuries include:
- Missing or inadequate fall protection
- Unsafe scaffolding and ladders
- Defective or poorly maintained equipment
- Trench and excavation collapses
- Failure to follow OSHA safety standards
A violation of OSHA standards can be powerful evidence in an injury claim. It helps show that a company failed to meet the basic safety duties expected on every site.
We look closely at whether any safety rule was broken before your injury. A clear rule violation can shift the case in your favor, because it shows the risk was known and could have been avoided.
Compensation Beyond Workers Comp
A third-party claim can pursue the full range of damages that workers compensation does not cover. That difference often makes a third-party claim far more valuable to an injured worker.
A third-party claim can recover:
- Full past and future medical expenses
- Total lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Physical impairment and disfigurement
- Loss of quality of life
These are exactly the categories workers compensation limits or excludes. Pursuing the responsible third party is often how an injured worker recovers what they have truly lost, both now and in the years ahead.
Related Injury Cases We Handle
Construction injuries connect to several other areas of personal injury law. The same investigation and the same focus on full recovery apply across all of them.
A construction accident is one of many personal injury cases we handle in San Angelo. The approach stays the same: find every responsible party and pursue the full value of the claim.
When an injury stems from a dangerous site condition, it can also involve premises liability, including unsafe job sites. A property owner’s duty to keep a site reasonably safe can be part of the case.
We also handle personal injury cases beyond the workplace, from vehicle crashes to animal attacks, with the same commitment to injured people across West Texas.
Why Are Construction Sites So Dangerous?
Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in Texas, and the risks are built into the work. Heavy machinery, high places, and many crews working at once all raise the chance of a serious injury.
In West Texas, the busy energy and building sectors add even more job-site activity. More work means more sites, more equipment, and more chances for a safety failure to hurt someone.
When companies rush a job or skip safety steps, workers are the ones who get hurt. That is exactly the kind of careless choice that can make a company legally liable for an injury.
Talk to a San Angelo Construction Accident Lawyer Today
If you were hurt on a job site, the full value of your claim may be far greater than a workers compensation check. Templeton Law Firm has fought for injured workers across San Angelo and West Texas for more than 25 years, and the consultation costs nothing.
Call (325) 482-9120 or contact us online. Free consultation. No fee unless we recover.
Se Habla Español | 905 S. Abe Street, San Angelo, TX 76903
Frequently Asked Questions
I already have workers comp. Why would I need a lawyer?
Because workers comp rarely covers everything. It does not pay for pain and suffering and often falls short on lost wages and future care. If a third party caused your injury, a separate claim can recover those losses, and that is where a lawyer makes the difference.
Can I sue if my injury was partly my own fault?
Often, yes. Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule, so you can still recover as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault. Your compensation is reduced by your share of the responsibility.
My employer does not carry workers comp. What are my options?
You may be able to sue your employer directly. Texas allows employees of non-subscriber employers, those without workers comp insurance, to bring a negligence claim, and those employers lose some of the defenses they would otherwise have.
What does a construction accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, so you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover for you. The consultation is always free.
Can I get more than workers compensation for a construction injury?
Often, yes. If a third party such as a contractor, subcontractor, or equipment manufacturer caused your injury, you can pursue a separate claim against them. That claim can recover pain and suffering and full damages that workers compensation does not cover.
How long do I have to file a construction accident claim in Texas?
Texas generally allows two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury claim. Workers compensation has its own, shorter reporting deadlines. Acting early protects both your comp benefits and any third-party claim.
What should I do after a construction site injury?
Report the injury to your employer, get medical care right away, and document everything you can about how it happened. Preserve the names of witnesses and any equipment involved, and speak with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement.