Due to the physical nature of the job, construction workers are at high risk for serious injuries:

• Falls from heights. Scaffolding, ladders, roofs, and elevated platforms make falls one of the leading causes of fatal and non-fatal construction injuries.
• Struck-by accidents. Falling objects, heavy equipment, and vehicles cause traumatic brain injuries, fractures, and internal injuries.
• Caught-in or caught-between accidents. Machinery, trench collapses, and heavy objects produce injuries that are often severe and can be fatal.
• Electrocution injuries. Exposed wires, power lines, and malfunctioning equipment cause severe burns, nerve damage, and death.
• Repetitive stress injuries. Heavy lifting, constant bending, and repetitive motion lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, back injuries, and joint damage.
• Exposure to toxic substances. Asbestos, silica dust, lead, and hazardous chemicals can cause lung disease, respiratory problems, and long-term illness.

If you are injured on a Missouri construction site, you may be entitled to:

• Medical benefits. Hospital visits, surgeries, medication, physical therapy, and rehabilitation, provided as authorized treatment at no cost to you (RSMo 287.140).
• Temporary total disability (TTD). If you cannot work while recovering, generally two-thirds of your average weekly wage until you can return (RSMo 287.170).
• Temporary partial disability (TPD). If you can do light-duty work at reduced wages, benefits can make up part of the lost earnings (RSMo 287.180).
• Permanent partial disability (PPD). Compensation for permanent loss of function when you can still work in some capacity (RSMo 287.190).
• Permanent total disability (PTD). Weekly benefits for life, or a lump-sum settlement, when the injury prevents any return to work (RSMo 287.200).
• Death benefits. Funeral expenses and weekly wage replacement for surviving dependents of a worker killed on the job (RSMo 287.240).

What those benefits add up to in your case depends on the formulas, the caps, and the rating. Start with what your case may be worth.

Many construction workers are misclassified as independent contractors, which employers use to avoid workers’ comp claims. Missouri law looks past the label at your actual job duties, the level of control over your work, and your relationship with the employer.

If you were told you are an independent contractor, you may still be eligible. Classification can be challenged, and in construction it often should be.

Sometimes someone other than your employer is responsible: an equipment manufacturer whose defective tool or machine caused the injury, a subcontractor whose negligence created unsafe conditions, or a property owner whose site was dangerous.

Unlike workers’ compensation, a third-party claim can seek additional damages for pain and suffering, full lost wages, and future medical costs. Construction sites, with their many employers on one site, produce these claims more than anywhere else.

In 2025 alone, our firm spent over $700,000 on expert witnesses. Construction cases are won with engineers, physicians, and vocational experts who can connect the accident to the injury and the injury to what it costs you for the rest of your working life.

Our firm handled roughly 1 in 4 of recent workers’ compensation trials at the St. Louis Division of Workers’ Compensation, out of hundreds of attorneys representing Missouri workers. Insurers know which firms will actually try a case, and it changes how they negotiate.

Serious construction injuries mean serious money, and insurers do not part with it voluntarily. That is what a trial firm is for.

Does workers’ comp cover construction workers in Missouri?

Yes. Most construction workers are covered, and construction companies with one or more employees must carry workers’ compensation insurance under Missouri law. The common exception fights are over independent contractor classification.

I was paid as a 1099 contractor. Am I out of luck?

Not necessarily. Missouri looks at how you actually worked, not what the paperwork called you. Misclassification can be challenged, and eligibility may be restored.

Can I sue anyone besides my employer?

Workers’ comp is generally the exclusive remedy against your employer, but third parties, such as equipment manufacturers, subcontractors, and property owners, can be sued separately when their negligence contributed.

What deadlines apply to my construction injury claim?

Report the injury to your employer within 30 days, and strict filing deadlines apply after that. Report first, then get specific deadline advice for your situation. Every case is different; results depend on the facts.