Common Injuries Associated With Roofing Accidents and What You Can Do to Protect Your Employee Rights
Roofing accidents are far too common, and far too dangerous to be ignored. According to the results of a 2013 study published in the Journal of Safety Research, one-third of all fall-related construction deaths occurred as a result of a roofing accident.
If this statistic isn’t alarming enough, it’s important to know that a fall is not the only danger roofers must face. In fact, working on or near a roof, even one that is only a few stories from the ground, can place construction workers in a variety of treacherous situations—many of which lead to some sort of devastating injury.
Roofing Risks
Heatstroke, falls from ladders or scaffolding, cave-ins or collapses, impacts from cranes or heavy machinery…these are only a few of the potential threats construction workers and roofers face on a daily basis. When these accidents do occur, they can have truly devastating effects on both the victim as well as the victim’s family.
Common roofing accident injuries include:
- Impact injuries from falls. Falls can cause major damage to bones, joints, and internal organs. Common injuries include broken legs and ankles, torn ligaments in the knees, and trauma to the head that risks brain damage. As a result, falls are considered the most dangerous type of roofing accident. Regardless if a worker falls from the roof, from a ladder, or from a construction site’s scaffolding, the result can be catastrophic, especially if proper precautions and safety measures were absent.
- Heatstroke. Roofers have to deal with extreme weather conditions. In the summer, areas of Texas can reach a heat index well over 100 degrees. However, workers are still forced to slave over hot roofs to meet deadlines. Overexertion, the blazing sun, and scorching building materials (tar, shingles) can all contribute to heat exhaustion and burns to the skin.
- Repetitive motion injuries. When someone does the same motion over and over again for an extended period of time, tendinitis or pinched nerves can develop. For roofers, common actions like hammering, bending, and carrying heavy loads can all contribute to debilitating repetitive motion injuries.
Recovery Options
When you or a loved one suffers a roofing accident, the injuries that result are often severe and sometimes life-threatening. But the pain doesn’t stop there. In addition to the physical agony of recovery, roofing accident injuries can also lead to steep medical expenses and lost wages. These additional costs can place even more anxiety and strife on an already strained situation.
Thankfully, workers’ compensation laws protect workers who’ve been injured both in catastrophic roofing accidents and long-term occupational ailments. Employers pay for workers’ compensation insurance so that their employees can receive benefits to recoup their losses after an on-the-job injury. This protection can pay for most, if not all, of the damages connected to the injury.
For more information about your legal rights, call experienced accident injury attorney Steve Lee. You’re not the first worker to suffer severe injuries as a result of workplace negligence, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fight back. We can help make sure that your rights are being upheld while you work to get back on your feet. Contact our office at 800-232-3711 or fill out the convenient scheduling form on our website to setup a FREE consultation. We’re eager to discuss your workers’ compensation benefits and personal injury claim opportunities. Call now!