Las Vegas, NV (September 17th, 2026) – A contractor was recently hospitalized after an incident involving mobile equipment inside a completed Boring Company tunnel near the Las Vegas Strip. The incident raises an important question for workers injured on jobsites involving contractors, subcontractors, equipment providers, and other businesses: Is workers’ compensation the only way to recover after a workplace injury?
Not always. Nevada workers’ compensation may provide benefits after a qualifying work injury without requiring the employee to prove negligence. However, when someone other than the employer or a coworker causes the injury, the worker may also have grounds for a third-party personal injury claim.
The distinction matters because the two claims operate differently and may provide compensation for different losses.
If you were injured while working in Las Vegas and have questions about your options, call George Bochanis Injury Law Offices at (702) 388-2005 for a free consultation.
Key Takeaways
- A contractor was hospitalized after an incident involving mobile equipment inside a completed Boring Company tunnel near Harmon Avenue and Paradise Road.
- Calling someone a “contractor” does not, by itself, determine whether that worker qualifies for Nevada workers’ compensation coverage.
- Workers’ compensation may apply to a qualifying workplace injury regardless of who caused the accident.
- A separate personal injury claim may also be possible when a third party outside the employer-employee relationship is legally responsible for the injury.
- Identifying who controlled the work, equipment, and conditions surrounding an accident can help determine which claims may apply.
Contractor Injured Inside Las Vegas Boring Company Tunnel
According to FOX5, the Clark County Fire Department responded around 10 a.m. Tuesday to an injury inside a tunnel near Harmon Avenue and Paradise Road.
County officials said a contractor was operating mobile equipment inside a completed section of the tunnel when the incident occurred. The worker suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital as a precaution. The Boring Company told FOX5 that the worker was evaluated and released that day.
Authorities had not provided further information about the type of equipment, the worker’s injuries, or what caused the incident.
Those unanswered questions are important. Without more information, there is no basis to conclude that any company or individual was negligent. In other workplace accidents, however, determining who employed the worker, controlled the worksite, supplied equipment, and contributed to the accident can reveal whether workers’ compensation is the only available remedy.
Is Workers’ Compensation the Only Option After a Nevada Work Injury?
Workers’ compensation is designed to provide benefits for qualifying injuries that arise out of and occur in the course of employment. Unlike a traditional personal injury claim, an injured employee generally does not have to establish that the employer was negligent.
A worker may receive benefits for qualifying medical treatment and a portion of lost wages, along with other benefits when applicable.
However, workers’ compensation does not necessarily resolve every legal issue surrounding a workplace accident.
Nevada law recognizes circumstances in which an injured employee may pursue damages from another person or business that has legal responsibility for the injury. This type of case is generally known as a third-party claim.
What Is a Third-Party Work Injury Claim?
A third-party claim is a personal injury claim against someone outside the employment relationship whose actions contributed to a workplace accident.
Consider a construction worker injured when an unrelated driver crashes into a roadside work zone. The worker may have a workers’ compensation claim because the injury happened while performing job duties. The driver may also face a separate personal injury claim if the driver’s negligence caused the crash.
The same principle can arise in construction accidents and other workplaces where several companies or pieces of equipment are involved.
Unlike workers’ compensation, a third-party claim generally requires evidence establishing the other party’s legal responsibility for the accident.
Who Could Be a Third Party in a Workplace Accident?
Worksites are not always controlled by a single company. Construction projects and other large operations may involve property owners, general contractors, subcontractors, equipment companies, delivery services, vendors, and other businesses.
Depending on how an accident happened, a potential third party could include another contractor or subcontractor, a negligent motorist, an equipment manufacturer, or another company responsible for dangerous conditions.
For example, a worker injured by defective machinery may have questions about whether a product liability claim should be investigated. A worker struck by an unrelated motorist while performing roadside duties could have a claim involving that driver.
These possibilities are fact-specific. The presence of several companies at a worksite does not automatically make them liable. Evidence must connect a person or business to the conditions or conduct that caused the worker’s injuries.
Why Does Contractor Status Matter After a Nevada Work Injury?
The word “contractor” can cause confusion after a workplace accident.
A company may describe someone as an independent contractor, subcontractor, or employee, but the terminology used in a contract or news report does not necessarily determine how Nevada workers’ compensation law treats that worker.
Nevada’s Division of Industrial Relations warns employers that simply labeling a worker an independent contractor does not automatically eliminate workers’ compensation obligations. The nature of the business relationship and the work performed may affect whether coverage applies.
That makes it important to examine the actual relationship rather than assume that a person identified as a contractor cannot receive workers’ compensation.
Questions may include who hired and paid the worker, what work the person was performing, which company controlled the work, whether a contractor’s license was required, and how the companies involved were related.
Those same relationships can also affect whether another company qualifies as a third party for purposes of a separate injury claim.
Can You Receive Workers’ Comp and Pursue a Third-Party Claim?
In some cases, yes.
Nevada law provides a process for injured employees to pursue compensation from a legally responsible third party while receiving workers’ compensation benefits. However, the two claims are connected.
The workers’ compensation insurer may have rights involving money recovered from the responsible third party. For that reason, workers should not assume that receiving workers’ compensation and later obtaining a personal injury settlement are two completely separate financial recoveries.
A work injury lawyer can review both sides of the case and determine how one claim may affect the other.
Evidence Can Help Identify Who Was Responsible for a Worksite Injury
When several companies are involved in a workplace, determining responsibility may require more than an accident report.
Contracts and subcontractor agreements can help establish which company performed particular work. Equipment ownership and maintenance records may identify who controlled machinery involved in an accident. Surveillance video, photographs, witness statements, inspection records, and workplace safety documentation may also help explain what happened.
Workers should report an injury promptly and follow the required workers’ compensation procedures. Nevada’s Workers’ Compensation Section instructs injured employees to notify their supervisor and complete the appropriate injury and claim paperwork after an accident.
At the same time, preserving evidence may prove particularly important when a possible third-party claim exists. Equipment can be repaired, worksites change, witnesses become harder to locate, and video may not remain available indefinitely.
Injured While Working in Las Vegas? Understand All of Your Options
A workplace accident does not always fit neatly into a single type of claim.
Workers’ compensation may provide important benefits without requiring an injured employee to prove negligence. When another person or company contributed to the accident, however, a third-party claim may provide another path to compensation.
Determining which rules apply can become especially complicated when contractors and subcontractors are involved.
George Bochanis Injury Law Offices has represented injured Nevada workers since 1985. If you were hurt while working in Las Vegas, call (702) 388-2005 for a free consultation. We can review what happened, identify the parties involved, and help you understand your options under Nevada law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a third-party claim if I already accepted workers’ compensation benefits?
Potentially. Receiving workers’ compensation benefits does not necessarily prevent an injured worker from pursuing a legally responsible third party. However, the workers’ compensation insurer may have rights involving the third-party recovery, so the claims should be evaluated together.
What if no one knows exactly who owns the equipment that injured me?
You do not have to determine that on your own before asking an attorney to review the accident. Contracts, equipment records, photographs, reports, and information obtained during an investigation may help establish who owned, maintained, or controlled the equipment.
What if the third party says I caused part of the accident?
A dispute about fault does not automatically end a Nevada personal injury claim. Nevada uses a modified comparative negligence system in many negligence cases, so the effect of shared fault depends on the circumstances and how responsibility is ultimately allocated.
Should I keep photos and documents even if my workers’ compensation claim was accepted?
Yes. Documents, photographs, communications, witness information, and other evidence may become important if questions later arise about how the accident happened or whether another party contributed to your injuries.
