EXPERIENCED PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER SERVING ALL OF TEXAS
Construction work has always carried real risk. But for workers in Arlington, Texas — where development projects have been running at full pace for years — that risk shows up in hard numbers. If you or someone in your family has been seriously hurt or killed on a job site, understanding the scale of the problem locally and what Texas law gives you the right to do about it matters more than any general overview.
This 2026 guide breaks down the fatal accident data, explains what drives those numbers in the Arlington area specifically, and tells you what steps to take if you’re facing this situation right now.
The Fatal Construction Accident Numbers in Texas — and What They Mean for Arlington
Texas consistently ranks among the deadliest states for construction workers. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas accounts for roughly 15 to 18 percent of all construction fatalities nationwide in any given year — more than any other state. In 2024, the BLS counted approximately 1,075 fatal occupational injuries in the construction sector across the country. Texas typically sees between 150 and 200 of those deaths annually.
Tarrant County, where Arlington sits, has been one of the more active construction markets in North Texas for well over a decade. That means the fatal accident rate here isn’t abstract — it maps onto real projects along I-20, highway expansion work near AT&T Stadium, the ongoing commercial builds off Collins Street, and residential developments pushing into the southwestern edges of the city.
OSHA divides fatal construction accidents into what the agency calls the “Fatal Four”: falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in/between accidents. These four categories account for more than 60 percent of all construction worker deaths nationally. In the DFW metro, falls remain the leading cause, particularly on commercial high-rise projects and roofing jobs.
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics also tracks occupational fatalities, and their data consistently shows that Hispanic workers in Texas bear a disproportionate share of construction deaths — a fact that has real implications for how legal claims in this region need to be handled, particularly around language access and employer documentation.
Why Arlington’s Growth Rate Creates Specific Hazards?
Arlington isn’t just growing — it’s growing fast, and that pace creates pressure on job sites. When general contractors are behind schedule, safety shortcuts happen. Subcontractors get pushed onto tasks they haven’t been fully trained for. Scaffolding goes up faster than it should. Trenches get dug without proper shoring. Equipment gets operated by workers who weren’t certified to use it.
Texas also does not require most private employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. That surprises a lot of people. Under Texas Labor Code Section 406, carrying workers’ comp is optional for most private sector employers. If your employer opted out — and many construction companies in the DFW area have — your path to recovery runs through a direct negligence claim rather than a standard comp claim. That’s actually a significant difference, because in a negligence lawsuit, you can recover damages for pain and suffering, loss of earning capacity, and other losses that workers’ comp would never cover.
A Texas construction accident attorney can help you figure out quickly whether your employer subscribed to workers’ comp or opted out. That determination shapes everything about your case.
What “Serious” Means in Construction Injury Law?
Not every injury turns into a viable personal injury lawsuit. But serious construction injuries — the kind that end careers or require multiple surgeries — almost always do, because the damages are large enough to justify the fight.
In my practice, the cases I see most often involve traumatic brain injuries from falls or being struck by falling objects, crush injuries from equipment accidents, and spinal injuries. These aren’t injuries someone recovers from in a few weeks. They change how a person can work, how they interact with their family, and how they experience daily life.
Research from the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health has documented how traumatic brain injuries acquired in workplace accidents frequently result in long-term cognitive deficits, personality changes, and chronic pain — consequences that don’t show up fully for months after the initial injury. That’s one reason why rushing to settle a construction injury claim is almost always a mistake.
Who Can Be Held Responsible Beyond Your Direct Employer?
One of the most important things an injured construction worker in Arlington needs to understand: multiple parties may carry legal liability for the same accident. Your direct employer is just the starting point.
General contractors have a duty to maintain overall site safety. Property owners can be liable for hazardous conditions they knew about or should have known about — this connects to Texas premises liability law, which creates duties for those who control property. Equipment manufacturers can be held responsible if a defective product — a faulty crane, a malfunctioning saw, a harness that fails under load — caused or contributed to the accident. These are Texas product liability claims that run parallel to your workplace injury claim.
The American Bar Association notes that multi-party construction accident cases are among the most complex in personal injury law. Sorting out who owes you what — and building the evidence to prove it — requires someone who handles these cases regularly, not a general practice attorney who treats them as an occasional matter.
What Happens in a Fatal Construction Accident Case?
If a worker was killed, their family may have a Texas wrongful death claim. Under the Texas Wrongful Death Act (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71), a surviving spouse, children, or parents of the deceased can bring suit against the party or parties responsible. Damages can include the financial support the deceased would have provided over a lifetime, loss of companionship, and mental anguish.
The statute of limitations in Texas for personal injury and wrongful death claims is generally two years from the date of the accident or death. Missing that deadline ends your right to recover, with very limited exceptions. Don’t wait to find out what your rights are.
What to Do Right After a Serious Construction Accident?
First: get medical care immediately, even if you’re not sure how severe your injuries are. Some of the most serious construction injuries — particularly brain injuries and internal injuries — don’t produce obvious symptoms right away.
Second: document everything you can. Photographs of the scene, the names of witnesses, any safety signage that was present or conspicuously absent, and any equipment involved. OSHA investigates fatalities and serious injuries, and their reports become important evidence. You have the right to request those reports.
Third: don’t give recorded statements to your employer’s insurance company before you speak with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are skilled at asking questions in ways that shift fault onto the injured worker. Legal resources from Justia and FindLaw explain this clearly, but the practical advice is simple: talk to a lawyer first.
Talking to a Construction Accident Lawyer in Arlington
Geoffrey Dashner has handled serious construction accident cases throughout North Texas. If you want to understand our team’s background and experience, that information is available. If you want to see how we’ve handled cases like yours, you can read what our clients say about working with us.
Dashner Law Firm | Arlington Injury & Accident Attorney serves clients throughout Texas, including workers across the DFW area who were hurt on commercial construction sites, highway projects, residential builds, and industrial work sites.
Take the Next Step
Construction accident claims in Texas move on hard deadlines, and the evidence you need — site photographs, employer records, equipment logs, OSHA citations — disappears quickly. The sooner you act, the more options you keep open.
If you or a family member was seriously hurt or killed on a job site in Arlington, contact Dashner Law Firm | Arlington Injury & Accident Attorney for a free consultation. You can get in touch with us online, call us at (817) 203-8018, or visit our office at 4275 Little Rd # 205, Arlington, TX 76016.
