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 No Win, No Fee work accident compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.
With over 60,000 roofing injuries each year, you are not alone
If you're a roofer who has suffered an injury on the job, it's important to know that you are not alone.
Roofers face a high risk of workplace injuries due to the nature of the job. Working at heights, handling heavy materials, and exposure to the elements can lead to a variety of accidents and injuries, from falls and slips to muscle strains and equipment-related harm.
Across the UK, there are approximately 64,000 roofers are injured each year (nfrc.co.uk).
How much compensation can I claim for a roofer accident?
The compensation you can claim for an injury working as a roofer will be determined by:
- the extent of your injury,
- the limitations your injury imposes on your daily life and work,
- the costs or financial losses you?ve experienced due to the accident.
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Updated October 2024
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General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
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
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average roofer injury general damages compensation table
The following roofer injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
Back injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | A back sprain, disc prolapse, soft tissue injury or minor fracture that fully recovers without surgery | £2,720 to £13,870 |
| Moderate | A disc lesion, prolapse, fracture or soft tissue injury leading to chronic conditions, including pain, mobility issues, impaired sexual function, psychological effects, a risk of arthritis, spondylolisthesis, and nerve root irritation | £13,870 to £30,800 |
| Severe | Severe spinal cord damage, nerve root damage, disc lesions, fractures and soft tissues leading to serious chronic conditions | £43,020 to £178,590 |
Head & brain injuries
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minimal brain damage with headaches and/or ongoing symptoms | £2,450 to £14,160 |
| Moderate - level 1 | Good recovery, but with ongoing symptoms (e.g. poor concentration and memory) | £17,000 to £47,770 |
| Moderate - level 2 | Your ability to work is reduced, and ongoing symptoms include poor concentration and memory, and a risk of epilepsy | £47,770 to £100,650 |
| Moderate - level 3 | Your ability to work is greatly reduced, and you have ongoing care needs | £100,650 to £166,540 |
| Moderate - level 4 | Ongoing symptoms include a moderate to severe intellectual deficit, personality change, damage to sight, speech and/or senses, and a risk of epilepsy | £166,540 to £243,040 |
Leg injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Simple tibia or fibula fracture | Simple fracture with full recovery | Up to £13,140 |
| Minor (relatively) | Short-term and minor soft tissue injuries | Up to £13,140 |
| Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| Less serious | Less serious injuries, e.g. simple leg fractures | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| More serious fractures | Incomplete fracture recovery with ongoing symptoms | £19,930 to £30,800 |
| Moderate | Including multiple leg fractures and crush injuries | £30,800 to £43,490 |
| Serious | Serious leg injury e.g. compound or comminuted fractures;Injuries to joints or ligaments;Long period of no weight bearing;Probability of arthritis; | £43,490 to £60,840 |
| Very Serious | Permanent mobility problems that require mobility aids (e.g. a stick, walker or wheelchair), and/or deformity and limited movement where future surgery is likely | £60,840 to £99,350 |
Neck injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Soft tissue injury | £2,720 to £8,750 |
| Moderate | Fracture or dislocation injuries, or worsening of existing conditions, including wrenching, disc lesions and cervical spondylosis | £27,730 to £42,700 |
| Serious | Severe fractures, dislocation, soft tissue damage, ruptured tendons, and/or chronic disability | £50,450 to £62,120 |
| Severe | Serious fractures or damage to discs, with disability and substantial loss of neck movement, including loss of function in one or more limbs | £72,950 to £145,250 |
Psychological harm and accidents in the workplace
In addition to physical injuries, a work accident can inflict lasting psychological harm.
Our 2024 Work Injury Claimant Survey reveals the extent of psychological trauma, with 25.00% of claims involving a psychological injury, 64.09% of which related to a physical injury.
Roofer injuries, especially from falls, can result in a long-lasting phobia of heights (acrophobia) and general anxiety about working at elevation.
Even after your physical recovery or rehabiliation is complete, hidden psychological injuries can take longer to heal.
A specialist solicitor will ensure that the psychological harm you have suffered is considered when calculating your compensation. This can be vital to ensure you receive mental health support and other therapies that may not be readily available on the NHS in your area.
Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.
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 2024 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?
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.
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
Employer responsibility in roofer injury claims
Roofer injury claims typically involve workplace negligence. Click the icon below to explore the steps in making a claim.
Can I make a no win, no fee roofer injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim roofer injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to a work accident specialist about your claim?
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NFRC--home of professional roofers, manufacturers and merchants (reviewed: 27/07/2024)
Author:
Chris Salmon, Director
About the author
Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Injury Claims. 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.