$4,000 to $15,000 is a realistic range for one knocked-out tooth once you count emergency care, a bone graft, an implant, and later replacement work. Most people assume a work injury is just today's ER bill. In Nebraska, the bigger issue is who gets stuck with the years of follow-up costs.

What your boss is pushing is the trap.

Most people assume using their own health insurance is simpler and they can sort it out later. In Nebraska, a tooth loss during construction work is usually a workers' compensation claim if it happened on the job, even in a Lincoln road-work zone with traffic, flaggers, or heavy equipment nearby. If you use your own insurance first, you can run into deductibles, denials, provider limits, and later fights over whether the treatment was work-related from the start.

The practical difference is money over time. Nebraska workers' comp can cover reasonable medical care tied to the injury, and that matters because dental trauma often turns into repeat costs months or years later when an implant fails, the jawbone changes, or surrounding teeth are affected. Your private insurer is far more likely to argue about "medical necessity" or cap dental benefits.

Report it to your employer immediately in writing and keep a copy. Nebraska claims are handled through the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court. The general filing deadline is usually 2 years from the injury, but waiting is how employers and insurers build their denial story.

If a driver, subcontractor, or equipment company caused the incident, there may also be a separate injury claim outside workers' comp. Nebraska uses modified comparative fault: recovery can be barred if you were 50% at fault for current claims, shifting to 51% for claims accruing after August 27, 2025.

Get and keep:

• photos of the scene and tooth injury
• names of coworkers and flaggers
• every bill and treatment note
• any text telling you to "use your own insurance"

That text can matter as much as the X-ray.