Midland’s construction economy has expanded dramatically with the Permian Basin oil boom. Office towers, hotels, apartment complexes, man-camps, retail, and industrial facilities are all being built or rebuilt across Midland County and Ector County. That construction activity produces serious worker injuries — falls, struck-by events, electrocutions, caught-in-between incidents, and equipment crashes. A Midland construction accident lawyer at McFarlane Law represents construction workers injured on Permian Basin jobsites and the surviving families of workers killed on the job.
OSHA Fatal Four in Midland Construction
OSHA’s Fatal Four hazards — falls, struck-by, electrocutions, and caught-in-between — account for over 60% of construction deaths nationwide, and Midland’s mix of commercial, residential, and industrial construction produces every one. Falls from scaffolding, ladders, and roof work are the leading cause of Midland construction deaths. Struck-by incidents from falling objects, dropped equipment, and backing vehicles. Electrocutions at energized electrical panels and contact with overhead power lines. Caught-in-between crush injuries from trench collapses and heavy-equipment operations. McFarlane Law investigates each Midland construction case under the OSHA framework and obtains the federal investigation file to build the civil damages case.
Texas Non-Subscriber Construction Employers
Texas is the only state where private employers can decline workers’ compensation, and many Midland-area construction subcontractors are non-subscribers. For injured workers at a non-subscriber, this is good news: the worker can sue the employer directly in civil court for negligence, and Texas Labor Code Chapter 406 bars the classic defenses of contributory negligence, assumption of risk, and fellow-servant rule. If the employer was 1% negligent and the worker was injured on the job, the employer owes full civil damages. Non-subscriber recoveries routinely exceed workers’ comp by 5–20×.
Third-Party Claims on Midland Jobsites
Even when a Midland worker’s employer carries workers’ compensation (which bars direct employer suits), third-party claims against other parties on the jobsite are always available. General contractors, other subcontractors, equipment manufacturers and rental companies, scaffold providers, engineering firms, and property owners can all be liable. Third-party recoveries are on top of workers’ comp benefits and include the full Texas civil damages menu. Workers’ comp carriers have subrogation claims but those liens are negotiable — McFarlane Law routinely reduces workers’ comp subrogation by 30–60% in Midland cases.
Catastrophic Construction Damages
Midland construction injuries often produce catastrophic, lifetime consequences. Falls from height result in TBI, spinal cord injury, multiple orthopedic fractures, and death. Struck-by from falling objects causes TBI, skull fractures, and crush injuries. Electrocutions produce cardiac damage, neurological injuries, and severe burns. Damages models for catastrophic Midland construction cases routinely exceed $5 million — combining past and future medical ($2M+), lost earning capacity ($1M–$3M for younger workers), and substantial non-economic damages. McFarlane Law builds these models with Permian-savvy life-care planners, vocational experts, and economists.
Related Practice Areas
Related Midland subpages: Midland work injury lawyer, Midland oilfield accident lawyer, Midland truck accident lawyer. Statewide: Texas construction accident lawyer, Texas fall from height injury lawyer. Hub: Midland personal injury lawyer.
Talk to a Midland Injury Lawyer Today
Midland construction sites clean up fast. Call McFarlane Law within days of an incident. (432) 803-5000 / (512) 222-4900. Free consult.
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Midland-Odessa & Permian Basin Practice
McFarlane Law maintains an office at 6005 Eastridge Rd, Suite 200-C, Odessa, TX 79762 — approximately 20 miles from downtown Midland. We serve Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, Andrews, Seminole, Kermit, Monahans, Pecos, and the entire Permian Basin region. Our West Texas practice includes injuries on I-20, US-385, SH-158, and the farm-to-market roads that connect Permian Basin production to the Texas oilfield corridor. We know the Midland County and Ector County courts, the local jury pools, the major employers (oilfield operators, service companies, trucking fleets, drilling contractors), and the West Texas medical providers who treat serious injuries. Call (432) 803-5000 for the Odessa office or (512) 222-4900 for our Austin headquarters. Free consultations, no fee unless we win.
