Chicago Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for Roofers

Roofers face some of the most dangerous conditions in high-risk construction industries. The risks of serious workplace injuries are constant, from climbing ladders and navigating steep roofs to handling heavy materials and working in extreme weather.

Work-related injuries can leave roofers with mounting medical expenses, time away from work, and uncertainty about their financial future. Insurance companies may not cover all medical bills. Illinois workers’ compensation laws exist to protect roofers and their families by providing benefits to cover lost wages, medical care, and rehabilitation costs.

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we understand the challenges injured roofing contractors face and are dedicated to securing the workers’ compensation insurance coverage and compensation they need to recover. With years of experience representing injured workers in Illinois, we are here to guide you through the workers’ comp process and fight for your rights.

Understanding Workers’ Compensation for Roofers in Illinois

Illinois workers’ compensation laws provide critical protections for roofing contractors injured. This no-fault system ensures that injured employees can receive workers’ compensation insurance benefits for work-related injuries without proving employer negligence.

Providing workers’ comp insurance coverage is a legal requirement for employers in Illinois, including roofing companies, to protect their employees. This includes coverage for injuries sustained during construction projects, residential repairs, or emergency jobs.

Whether you were injured falling from a roof, suffering from heatstroke, or using defective tools, roofing contractors are entitled to workers’ compensation coverage if the injury occurred while performing your job duties.

Common Hazards and Risks in the Roofing Industry

Roofing is one of the most dangerous jobs in construction, with roofing companies exposed to a wide range of hazardous conditions. These risks often lead to severe workplace injuries, requiring extensive recovery time and significant medical care.

Key hazards roofers face include:

• Falls from Heights: Working on roofs, ladders, or scaffolding presents constant risks of falls, often resulting in fractures, spinal injuries, or worse for roofing contractors.
• Heat-Related Illnesses: Extended exposure to the sun and high temperatures can lead to heatstroke, dehydration, and other health complications for roofing companies and their employees.
• Heavy Tools and Equipment Injuries: Using tools like nail guns and saws can result in lacerations, punctures, or even amputations if accidents occur. There are often lost wages during recovery time.
• Repetitive Motion Injuries and Muscle Strains: Constant lifting, bending, and reaching while handling roofing materials can lead to long-term musculoskeletal issues and high medical bills.
• Slip-and-Fall Accidents: Wet, icy, or unstable surfaces increase the likelihood of slipping and falling. Roofing companies should assess the risk before working on a roof.
• Electrocution Risks: Roofers often work near power lines, exposing them to the dangers of electric shock or electrocution. Roofing businesses are legally responsible for ensuring workers are safe.

Common Workplace Injuries Roofers Commonly Experience

Roofers often face severe injuries while working for roofing companies due to the physically demanding and dangerous nature of their work. These injuries can impact their ability to continue working, lead to significant medical bills, and, in the worst cases, result in fatalities.

Frequent Injuries in the roofing industry include:

• Broken Bones and Fractures: Falls from roofs, ladders, or scaffolding frequently cause fractures that may require lengthy recovery times.
• Spinal Cord Injuries and Herniated Discs: Carrying heavy materials or falling from heights can lead to severe back injuries, limiting mobility and causing chronic pain.
• Heatstroke and Severe Dehydration: Prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures while working on roofs can result in life-threatening conditions.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): Falls or being struck by falling tools or debris often cause head trauma, which may require extensive rehabilitation.
• Deep Cuts and Lacerations: Sharp tools and materials like metal flashing or glass can cause significant wounds that may result in infections.
• Fatal Injuries: Sadly, some roofing accidents lead to fatalities, leaving families to pursue death benefits through Illinois workers’ compensation laws.

Many health insurance companies will only cover a portion of work-related injuries. Health insurance companies may charge a deductible, and they may deny your claim if you’re not up to date on insurance premiums.

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we understand the devastating impact these injuries have on roofers and their families. Our Illinois workers’ comp lawyer team is committed to helping injured roofers recover the full workers’ compensation insurance benefits they need to move forward.

Benefits Available Through Roofing Workers’ Comp Insurance

Illinois workers’ comp insurance laws provide essential benefits to support roofers or roofing businesses injured on the job. These benefits ease roofers’ financial and physical challenges after a workplace injury, such as compensation for lost wages.

Key roofing workers’ comp insurance benefits include:

• Medical Expenses: Insurance coverage for hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and other necessary treatments.
• Temporary Total Disability (TTD): Compensation for lost wages for roofers who cannot work during recovery.
• Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): Workers’ comp insurance compensation for lost earnings if the injured roofer can perform limited-duty work at reduced pay.
• Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): Financial support for long-term impairments that limit specific functions or mobility. This may last until a person can work for roofing businesses again.
• Permanent Total Disability (PTD): Lifetime benefits for injuries that prevent returning to work in any capacity. This includes roofing businesses or any other job.
• Death Benefits: Financial assistance from workers’ comp insurance for surviving family members, including compensation for funeral expenses and ongoing financial support.

Eligibility to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Roofers employed by roofing businesses in Illinois are generally covered under the state’s workers’ comp insurance laws. These laws ensure that injured roofers can receive benefits for work-related injuries without proving employer negligence.

Key eligibility factors depending on employment type include:

• Employed Roofers: Roofers working directly for roofing businesses or contractors are covered under Illinois workers’ comp insurance law.
• Subcontractors: Roofers working as subcontractors may qualify for workers’ comp coverage if the general contractor provides workers’ compensation insurance.
• Independent Contractors: Independent roofing contractors are not usually eligible for workers’ compensation insurance benefits, but they may have other legal options, such as pursuing third-party claims. Obtaining workers’ compensation insurance coverage while working as a sole proprietor is often the contractor’s responsibility.

Multi-employer worksites, such as large construction projects, can complicate the workers’ comp insurance claim process. Determining who is responsible for providing insurance for roofers often requires legal guidance.

Our Chicago workers’ comp attorney team helps injured roofers understand their eligibility and navigate the complexities of filing a workers’ comp claim.

Challenges Roofers Face in Workers’ Compensation Claims

Injured roofers often encounter obstacles when filing for workers’ comp insurance benefits, which can delay or reduce the support they need to recover. Employers and insurance companies may use tactics to minimize workers’ comp insurance payouts, creating unnecessary stress for injured workers.

Common challenges include:

• Claim Denials: Employers may argue that the injury was not job-related or was caused by a pre-existing condition. This can make it more challenging for roofers to access workers’ comp insurance benefits. They often work with insurance companies to deny claims to maximize profits.
• Delayed Benefits: Wage replacement or medical expenses may take longer than expected, leaving roofers in financial distress. We have experience with workers’ comp insurance for roofers and working with insurance companies to help you avoid financial hardship.
• Pressure to Return to Work: Injured roofers may face pressure to resume work prematurely, risking further harm. Companies may pressure employees to avoid higher workers’ comp insurance payouts.
• Misclassification: Some roofers are misclassified as independent contractors to avoid providing workers’ comp coverage or safety programs.

Third-Party Liability Claims for Roofing Injuries

In addition to Illinois workers’ compensation insurance benefits, injured roofers may pursue third-party liability claims to seek additional compensation. These claims are especially critical for independent roofing contractors or others who may not qualify for workers’ comp coverage under their employer’s insurance policy.

Situations where third-party claims may apply include:

• Defective Equipment or Tools: Malfunctioning ladders, nail guns, or safety harnesses due to manufacturing defects can lead to product liability claims. This lawsuit is often in addition to benefits from workers’ comp insurance for roofers. Most manufacturers have business insurance.
• Negligence by Subcontractors or Property Owners: Unsafe job site conditions, such as unsecured materials, hazardous debris, or poor maintenance, can result in injuries caused by third parties. You may receive a settlement alongside workers’ compensation coverage.
• Unsafe Job Conditions Created by Contractors: General roofing contractors or subcontractors who fail to follow safety protocols or create dangerous conditions may be held liable for medical costs and legal fees.

Third-party claims offer an essential pathway to recover damages for roofers who are not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. These claims can cover expenses like pain and suffering, lost income, and ongoing medical needs not addressed under workers’ comp.

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we evaluate every roofing injury case to identify all avenues of compensation. By exploring both workers’ comp and third-party liability claims, we work to maximize financial recovery for injured roofers and their families.

How Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers Can Help

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we have extensive experience representing roofers injured in the workplace. From navigating Illinois’ workers’ comp system to pursuing third-party liability claims, our team is dedicated to securing the maximum compensation for our clients.

Our services include:

• Filing and Managing Claims: Ensuring your workers’ comp claim is filed accurately and on time to prevent delays or denials.
• Gathering Evidence: Collecting accident reports, medical records, and witness statements to build a strong case.
• Appealing Denied Claims: Challenging workers’ comp claim denials or disputes to ensure injured roofers receive the benefits they deserve.
• Pursuing Third-Party Claims: Exploring additional compensation options for roofers injured by defective tools, unsafe job sites, or subcontractor negligence.
• Negotiating with the Insurance Provider: Fighting for fair settlements that cover all medical costs, lost wages, and long-term needs.

Our experienced workers’ comp attorney team works on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay attorney fees if we successfully secure compensation for your injury. At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we provide personalized legal support to help injured roofers recover physically, financially, and emotionally.

Steps to Take After a Roofing Injury

If you’ve been injured while working as a roofer, taking immediate steps can help protect your health and strengthen your case for workers’ compensation benefits or third-party claims.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Seek Immediate Medical Attention: Prioritize your health by visiting a doctor or hospital immediately. Document all injuries and follow your prescribed treatment plan.
• Notify Your Employer Within 45 Days: Illinois law requires that you inform your employer of your injury within 45 days of the accident. Failing to meet this deadline can jeopardize your workers’ comp claim.
• Document the Accident and Injuries: Take photos of the job site, your injuries, and any equipment involved. Collect contact information for witnesses who can corroborate the incident. You may need this to challenge a workers’ comp claim denial.
• Consult an Experienced Workers’ Comp Lawyer: An attorney can help file your claim accurately, ensure deadline compliance, and protect you against denials or disputes.

Statute of Limitations

In Illinois, injured roofers must notify their employer of the injury within 45 days and file a workers’ compensation claim within three years of the accident or two years from the last payment of temporary disability benefits. Missing the Illinois workers’ comp statute of limitations deadlines can forfeit your right to benefits, making contacting a lawyer as soon as possible essential to the success of your claim.

Contact an Illinois Roofers’ Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today!

If you’ve been injured while working as a roofer, you need a trusted legal team to help you secure the benefits and compensation you deserve. At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we have successfully represented roofers and other construction workers across Illinois, recovering compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and more.

Call (888) 424-5757 or fill out our contact form to book a free consultation. Our Chicago personal injury lawyers will take your case on contingency, meaning you won’t owe us any legal fees unless we help you recover compensation.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.