Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the country — and in Nebraska. Workers face life-threatening hazards every day, from high-elevation falls and heavy equipment to electrocution and trench collapses. When an injury happens, the physical, financial, and emotional toll can be devastating.
If you were injured on a construction site in Nebraska, you have the right to workers' compensation benefits — and you may also have a third-party personal injury claim that could significantly increase your recovery. At Johnson Tabor & Johnson, we represent construction workers across Nebraska who have been hurt on the job, and we fight to make sure they get every dollar they're owed.
Our senior partner spent over 40 years as defense counsel for major insurance carriers. He knows exactly how insurers evaluate construction injury claims, what tactics they use to minimize payouts, and how to beat them. That insider knowledge now works for you.
Common Construction Injuries in Nebraska
Construction workers are exposed to hazards that most other workers never encounter. The injuries that result are often severe, requiring extensive medical treatment, surgery, and long periods of recovery. Nebraska workers' compensation covers all of these injuries when they arise out of and in the course of your employment.
The "Fatal Four" Construction Hazards
OSHA identifies four types of accidents that account for the majority of construction fatalities and serious injuries nationwide. Nebraska construction sites are no exception:
Falls
Falls from scaffolding, ladders, roofs, and elevated platforms are the leading cause of construction deaths. Survivors often face broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.
Struck-By Incidents
Being hit by falling tools, materials, swinging equipment, or vehicles on the job site. These accidents cause serious head injuries, fractures, and internal organ damage.
Caught-In/Between
Workers caught in or compressed by equipment, machinery, or collapsing structures — including trench cave-ins. These injuries often result in crush injuries, amputations, and fatalities.
Electrocution
Contact with live wires, overhead power lines, or faulty electrical systems. Electrical injuries can cause severe burns, cardiac arrest, nerve damage, and death.
Other Common Construction Injuries
Beyond the Fatal Four, Nebraska construction workers frequently suffer from:
- Back and spinal injuries from heavy lifting
- Herniated and bulging discs
- Rotator cuff tears and shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries from kneeling and climbing
- Burn injuries from welding, chemicals, or fires
- Hearing loss from prolonged noise exposure
- Respiratory illness from silica, asbestos, or chemical exposure
- Repetitive stress injuries from prolonged tool use
Why Construction Workers' Comp Claims Are More Complex
Construction injury claims often involve layers of complexity that other workers' compensation cases do not. Understanding these issues can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case.
Multiple Parties on the Job Site
Most construction sites involve a general contractor, multiple subcontractors, property owners, equipment rental companies, and material suppliers. When you're injured, determining which employer's insurance covers your claim — and whether other parties share responsibility — requires careful legal analysis.
Third-Party Liability Claims
Workers' compensation benefits are important, but they have limits. They don't cover pain and suffering, and wage replacement is capped. However, if a third party contributed to your injury — for example, a general contractor who failed to maintain safe conditions, a subcontractor whose negligence caused your accident, or a manufacturer whose defective equipment malfunctioned — you may be entitled to file a separate personal injury lawsuit in addition to your workers' comp claim.
A third-party claim can dramatically increase your total recovery. At Johnson Tabor & Johnson, we evaluate every construction injury case for both workers' compensation benefits and third-party liability.
Our Insurance Defense Background Works for You. Our senior partner spent over 40 years defending insurance carriers in cases just like yours. We know how construction insurers evaluate claims, how they look for reasons to deny or minimize benefits, and what arguments they prepare behind closed doors. That insider knowledge is now your advantage.
Independent Contractor Misclassification
Some construction employers misclassify workers as independent contractors to avoid carrying workers' compensation insurance. If your employer told you that you're an independent contractor but controls how, when, and where you do your work, you may actually be an employee under Nebraska law — and entitled to full workers' comp benefits.
Repetitive & Cumulative Injuries in Construction
Not every construction injury happens in a dramatic accident. Years of physical labor take a toll on the body, and many construction workers develop serious injuries over time from the repetitive demands of their work.
Common cumulative construction injuries include chronic back pain from years of lifting and bending, carpal tunnel syndrome from prolonged use of vibrating power tools, shoulder injuries from overhead work, knee damage from climbing and kneeling, and tendinitis from repetitive motions.
These injuries are fully covered by Nebraska Workers' Compensation Law — but insurance companies routinely deny them. They'll argue the injury is due to aging, not your work. They may send you to their own doctor for an Independent Medical Examination (IME) designed to undercut your claim.
Watch Out for Biased IMEs. If the insurance company sends you to their doctor and that doctor says your injury isn't work-related, you could lose all your benefits. Our attorneys know how to challenge biased IME reports and build the medical evidence needed to win these claims.
Workers' Comp Benefits for Injured Construction Workers
If you were injured on a construction site in Nebraska, you may be entitled to the following benefits:
Medical Benefits
Full coverage for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to your injury — surgeries, physical therapy, prescriptions, medical devices, and more.
Temporary Disability
Wage replacement benefits while you are unable to work due to your injury. These benefits are based on your average weekly wage.
Permanent Disability
Compensation for lasting impairments that affect your ability to work — including loss of use of a body part, chronic pain, or reduced physical capacity.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Job retraining and assistance if your injury prevents you from returning to construction work or your previous role.
Representing Construction Workers Across Nebraska
Construction projects span every corner of Nebraska, and so does our practice. Johnson Tabor & Johnson represents injured construction workers throughout the state, including:
- Omaha — Bellevue, Papillion, Elkhorn, Millard, La Vista
- Lincoln & Lancaster County
- Grand Island & Hall County
- Kearney & Buffalo County
- Norfolk & Madison County
- Columbus & Platte County
- North Platte & Lincoln County
- Scottsbluff & the Panhandle
- Sidney & Cheyenne County
Plus all surrounding communities across Nebraska and western Iowa. Whether you were injured on a commercial build in downtown Omaha or a road construction project in western Nebraska, we're ready to fight for you.