Involved in an Accident as a Roofer?
Being involved in an accident, as a roofer, regardless of how serious the workplace accident was, can be a traumatic experience – whether you have sustained any injuries or not. In cases where you are involved in an accident as a roofer, that was not your fault, there may be a legal remedy. This legal remedy, you can seek by way of a roofer accident claim.
Common Roofer Accident Claims*
Accidents at work are a common occurrence which can lead to people sustaining injuries. Accidents can happen in any industry but some employees are more at risk than others. Working as a roofer may be deemed high-risk profession due to the height which they are expected to work at – as these people would be at a greater risk of falling from a height. There are also other factors which can lead to the occurrence of an accident in this industry such as the type of roof and the weather conditions at the time. All areas of this job can be dangerous, such as maintaining, building, cleaning or demolishing. It is important that the correct precautions in place in order to reduce the risk of accidents involving roofers. It is up to the employer to ensure that all health and safety regulations are being followed.
The most common roofer accident claims are:
What do I do if I'm involved in an accident as a roofer?
Following a roofer accident, there are a number of steps you should follow:
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Seek medical attention
Your health is your wealth and should be your first priority. Immediately after an roofer accident, take a second to assess yourself to determine if you have any injuries. Then check if anybody else involved in the accident need medical attention. If you or anyone else involved has sustained a serious injury ensure that you contact an ambulance to attend the scene.
For minor injuries, you must remember that minor injuries where you ‘feel fine’ could progress to more serious injuries in the future. In this case it is always better to be safe than sorry and advisable that you go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) or local GP to be checked out.
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Report the accident
It is critical to report the accident to your superior, i.e. a supervisor or manager on site. It doesn’t matter how small you think the accident may be. By law, accidents at work are required to be reported if the person is injured and can’t perform their daily work tasks for more than three days. Make sure to fill out an Accident Report Form. This can be used for reference in any medical examination and will also prevent any similar accidents from happening in the future.
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Identify any witnesses
If possible, try to collect the contact details of anybody that witnessed your accident. This may be of use if you do decide to pursue a roofer accident claim. It is also useful to find out if there is any CCTV in the area where your accident happened.
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Document the incident
It is important that you collect all the relevant information in connection with your accident:
- How the accident happened
- Details of any witnesses
- If there are any CCTV recordings of your accident
- Take pictures of where the accident happened and what caused your accident
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Speak to a roofer accident claims solicitor
If you are considering moving forward with a roofer accident claim for any personal injuries sustained, it is advisable that you speak with a roofer claims solicitor as soon as possible. If you are proceeding with a claim, the first step will be submitting your claim to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board for assessment. A roofer accident solicitor can help you in preparing your application to the Injuries Board and ensure that you follow the process in the correct format, meaning that you can move forward with your claim quickly without unnecessary delays.
It is important to remember to keep copies of any expenses that you have incurred as a result of the accident. It is also imperative to retain copies of medical reports or incident report forms where possible as you will need them when making a claim.