Roofer injury
compensation claims

If a roofer injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Roofer injuries from falls or tool-related accidents can be severe, leading to claims for comprehensive medical treatment and lost earnings.

If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by an accident at work, we can help. If your injuries were caused by your employer or a co-worker, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

You can make a work accident compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

You are not alone

Working as a roofer involves unique risks and challenges, often leading to various types of injuries. If you're a roofer who has suffered an injury on the job, it's important to know that you are not alone. Roofing work, with its heights and demanding physical tasks, can result in accidents that have significant impacts on your health and livelihood.

Working at height

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 sets out detailed information on how to safely carry out roofing work for those building, maintaining, cleaning, demolishing and inspecting roofs.

Before work commences each project should be risk assessed by the employer, as the nature of the precautions needed may vary from one job to another. An employer must require staff to adhere to suitable safety standards is essential even if the work only involves a brief inspection or minor adjustment to a television aerial.

Inadequate health and safety measures are likely to be strong evidence of an employers' negligence.

Read more:

Health and safety breach injury claims

Suitable equipment

Appropriate equipment should be provided at all times. This may include scaffolding, edge guards and safety nets. Some tasks may be carried out more safely by using a crane or cherry picker to gain access to the roof.

In addition to falls from the edges of roofs, accidents also occur where workers fall through gaps and holes in a roof, or through fragile roofs and skylights, and the risks apply to both flat and pitched roofs. Suitable scaffolding and other equipment should be used to protect roofers against these risks.

Keeping the site tidy

Debris and other material should be removed from a roof through enclosed chutes or by lowering to the ground in containers. It should not be allowed to accumulate into piles which could fall, create trip hazards or put pressure on the roof, increasing the risk of a collapse.

Covered walkways or debris netting will also protect other workers from injury from any falling objects.

Suitable training

Workers should be trained in the use of all equipment and processes they will be expected to use and adhere to. This includes the installation and use of safety equipment, and how to safely handle materials.

By law, employers cannot rely on staff ‘pick up safety on the job' and inexperienced workers must be under a suitable level of supervision of someone who has the necessary competency.

The appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should always be provided and should be worn by the worker. This would usually include hard hats and safety boots for general work, also safety glasses to protect the eyes from dust and other particles. Safety gloves may be necessary to protect workers using equipment such as blow torches or hot materials - bitumen for example - from burns and scalds.

Lifting and handling

Injuries may be sustained by roofers who need to carry heavy tools, equipment and supplies. Working in awkward spaces may make lifting and handling techniques difficult, so risks should be assessed and safe handling practices established.

Your employer's 'duty of care'

All employers have a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees.

By following the procedures set out by the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. an employer should ensure that the risk of his employees being injured is minimised.

Where the risks have not been properly assessed and identified and the necessary equipment, appropriate precautions and systems of work provided and correctly implemented, accidents may occur and the employer may be found negligent as a result.

Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force on 6 April 2022.

This legislation means that employers have an obligation to provide free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all workers, including workers who are self-employed or on a zero-hours contract.

Under the previous 1992 regulations, employers were only required to provide PPE to employees with a formal employment contract.

If you are injured at work and your employer failed to provide you with suitable PPE, you may be entitled to claim compensation - even if you are self-employed.

Am I eligible for roofer injury compensation?

You will be able to claim compensation if you've been injured or diagnosed with an illness in the last three years and it wasn't your fault.

Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Or you can call 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor. Find out in minutes if you have a claim.

What if the accident was partly my fault?

Attributing blame for an accident isn't always clear-cut.

In our 2023 Work Injury Claimant Survey, we found that 26.02% of injured workers felt they had at least some responsibility for the injuries they sustained.

A claim could still be possible if your actions contributed to your injury. If you were injured on the job by a co-worker's actions, you can still claim compensation from your employer, based on the principle of vicarious liability.

Read more:

Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?

How much compensation can I claim for a roofer injury?

The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:

• the seriousness of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Special damages

Special damages is compensation for quantifiable financial losses you've incurred as a result of your roofer injury. Compensation can include loss of income, including future loss of income, and any additional expenses directly related to your injury.

These damages will also cover any medical or treatment bills, such as physical therapy, diagnostic imaging tests and surgical intervention.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

Roofing contractor claims

Claiming for compensation as a roofing building site contractor can be more complicated in some respects, but the company or other party responsible for managing safety on a site is held to many of the same standards as an employer and it is often still possible to claim compensation.

If you were injured as a self-employed worker or contractor, contact our team on 0800 376 1001 for more information.

See also:

Building site contractor injury claims

Employers' liability claims claims

Work accident claims are also known as employers' liability claims. Click on the icons below for more information:

Work
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Other
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FAQs

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How we can help you with your work accident claim

Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning work accident claims.

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Handled with the utmost professionalism... extremely kind, courteous and empathetic.

The Good Solicitor Guide

Kevin Walker obtains £80,000 for a construction worker's catastrophic hand injury

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Author:
Chris Salmon, Director

About the author

Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Legal Services. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.