Have you been injured while working on a roof? If so, you may be wondering if you could make a personal injury claim after your accident at work. Working at heights can present various risks, and so the injuries caused can also vary. This guide will examine the eligibility criteria for personal injury compensation and what that compensation could look like for a successful claim. We have included a section in this guide on how compensation is calculated using two Heads of Loss.
We look at how long you have to start a personal injury claim following a workplace injury, along with examples of evidence it can be helpful to acquire in order to support your claim. We conclude this guide by identifying the benefits of working with an accident at work solicitor on a No Win No Fee basis.
We’re Specialists In Claims When Injured While Working On A Roof
Reach out to speak to our advisors today if you have any questions. They are available 24/7 to offer free guidance. It’s also free to get in touch. We could even connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel if we think you have a valid claim.
Read on for more information. You’ll also find how you can speak to us below:
- Call us on 0161 696 9685
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat box in the corner
Select A Section
- Examples Of Payouts If Injured While Working On A Roof
- Who Is Eligible To Claim For Injuries While Working On A Roof?
- Limitation Periods To Claim For Roof Worker Accidents
- Examples Of How To Prove Your Claim
- Could I Make A No Win No Fee Claim For Injuries While Working On A Roof
- Further Claim Resources For Those Injured While Working On A Roof
Examples Of Payouts If Injured While Working On A Roof
If your workplace injury claim is successful, you could, be awarded a primary damage, known as general damages for the injury, pain and suffering caused and a secondary damage, special damages for the monetary implications of the injury.
When valuing the general damages head of your claim, those who do the calculations may look to the report from your independent medical assessment alongside a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG lists many different types of injuries, their reflecting severities and accompanied by compensation guideline brackets derived from past successful court cases.
Extracts From The JCG
The JCG last received an update in 2022. We’ve included some example entries in the table below. You should use them only as a rough guide. Your own circumstances will dictate the exact value of your general damages amount.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralysis | Paraplegia | Factors such as the level of pain and impact on sexual function/mental health are considered. | £219,070 to £284,260 |
| Back | Severe | (i) Unusually severe injuries that affect the nerve roots and spinal cord. | £91,090 to £160,980 |
| Arm | Severe | Where the injury is severe, but does not quite meet the level of requiring amputation. | £96,160 to £130,930 |
| Arm | Simple | A fracture of the claimant's forearm. | £6,610 to £19,200 |
| Neck | Severe | (ii) These injuries involve serious fractures or damage to discs in the cervical spine. | £65,740 to £130,930 |
| Chest | Permanent | (b) Injury of a traumatic nature that causes lasting damage to the heart and/or lung(s). | £65,740 to £100,670 |
| Face | Very severe | Scarring that is greatly disfiguring and has a severe psychological reaction. | £29,780 to £97,330 |
| Hand | Serious | When both hands are seriously damaged. Loss of function and cosmetic disability will be permanent. | £55,820 to £84,570 |
| Elbow | Severe | The injury causes a severe level of disability. | £39,170 to £54,830 |
| Foot | Modest | Undisplaced fractures, injuries to ligaments and sprains. | Up to £13,740 |
Special Damages Examples
Some claimants may also be eligible to receive a second head of claim called special damages. This figure can account for the financial impact if you’re injured at work.
Here are some examples of the losses/costs that could occur that a special damages payment may address:
- Loss of earnings.
- Walking aids.
- Travel costs.
- Care at home.
- Adaptations to your property.
- Medical expenses.
To find out what your potential claim for injuries sustained while working on a roof could be awarded if successful, call our advisors today for a free case assessment.
Who Is Eligible To Claim For Injuries While Working On A Roof?
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that your employer must take all reasonable steps to prevent you from being injured at work. This is known as their duty of care. Proving that you were owed this duty when you suffered a roofer injury at work is an essential part of the claims process.
To be eligible to seek accident at work compensation through a personal injury claim, the following must be true:
- At the time of the accident, your employer owed you a duty of care
- Because they breached this duty of care, the accident happened, and
- You suffered mental and/or physical injuries as a result.
The criteria above are the definition of negligence in personal injury claims.
Limitation Periods To Claim For Roof Worker Accidents
Typically, you have 3-years from the date of your injury to begin the claims process. However, although this is stated in The Limitation Act 1980, the same Act also allows for certain exceptions. We’ve listed them below:
- Under-18s – Children are not permitted to pursue their own claim. Therefore, their 3-year time limit does not begin until their 18th. Then, they have the same limitation period as everybody else. Although the injured party can’t pursue a claim before this date, it’s possible to appoint a litigation friend to do so on their behalf.
- Those who lack the mental capacity to claim – In cases such as these, the time limit is once more suspended. It would only start from the date the claimant became capable, if this date were ever to arrive. Before then, a litigation friend can claim on their behalf.
If you’d like any clarification regarding whether you’re able to begin a claim, or claim time limits in general, speak with our advisors today.
Examples Of How To Prove Your Claim
If you are planning to make a personal injury claim after being injured while working on a roof, you’ll need to support a claim with evidence. Below, we’ve compiled a short list of examples of evidence that can be helpful to gather. The list is not exhaustive, so other forms of evidence may be available to you depending on your circumstances.
- Visual evidence – Take photographs of the hazards that caused your injuries, such as a broken ladder or other defective work equipment. You can also document any visible injuries. If your accident was captured on CCTV, you can request the footage if you appear in it.
- Medical evidence – X-rays, hospital discharge letters, and your medical records can all come in useful.
- Workplace accident book – Details such as dates and times should be featured here.
- Witness contact details – Witnesses may be asked to submit a statement at a later date.
Get in touch today if you want to know more about the evidence you can gather to support your accident at work claim.
Could I Make A No Win No Fee Claim For Injuries While Working On A Roof
If you’ve been injured while working on a roof and wish to make a claim, why not opt to work with an experienced solicitor who can do all the work necessary on your behalf? All of the solicitors on our panel work with their clients under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a form of No Win No Fee arrangement.
A CFA allows you to access the legal services of your solicitor but does not require you to pay anything upfront. If your claim succeeds, then your solicitor takes what’s known as a success fee from your compensation. The fee takes the form of a legally capped percentage and isn’t taken at all if your claim fails.
Contact Our Team
It’s free to get in touch, and you can speak with us at any time of the day or night. If we think your claim could be valid, we have the ability to assist you in beginning the claims process by connecting you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel. However, you’ve no obligation to begin a claim after speaking with us.
Reach out today:
- Call us on 0161 696 9685
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat box in the corner
Further Claim Resources For Those Injured While Working On A Roof
Feel free to follow the links below. They’ll take you to additional resources you may also find useful.
More from us:
- Child injury claims – Our guide on this subject.
- Broken finger at work – Another of our guides.
- Broken rib injuries at work – Find out about claiming in this scenario.
Information from other sources:
- Health and safety in roof work – Information from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims – Government information.
- Safe use of ladders and step ladders – More from the HSE.
We hope you found our guide on the topic of how much a claim can be worth if you were injured while working on a roof useful. Please feel free to call our advisor now for a free consultation which carries no obligation.