Here are some crucial steps to follow if you get injured in a roofing accident.
Call 911 and request an ambulance. Do not attempt to move if you are in excessive pain or bleeding. If you cannot contact 911, ask anyone around you to do so.
Document the accident scene. Do you know what caused the accident? If so, ensure you document that as well. In addition, take videos and photos of the accident scene and the injuries you sustained. Ensure you capture any cuts, bruises, torn clothing, or other relevant information.
Suppose you did not suffer serious injuries requiring an emergency room visit. In that case, it is still advisable to visit a doctor as soon as possible. This is because certain injuries, such as vital organ bleeding, take time to show. In fact, by the time they begin to show their symptoms, the injury is usually too severe. This explains why some people fall into a coma, and others die peacefully in their beds after such injuries despite not showing any signs of physical injuries.
Seeking treatment after the accident can also help you prove your case when you file a claim. This is because the other party will only believe your version of events with proof. And, even if you have evidence, they will still try to find ways to blame you for the accident. The primary goal is to ensure you have enough proof to hold the other party accountable without giving them an excuse to dispute your claim.
Remember that the above scenario applies only when filing a lawsuit against the defendant. When you file a worker's compensation claim, you do not necessarily need to prove liability. Rather, you only need to prove that you suffered a work-related injury, in this case, a roofing accident. This is because the whole point of having worker's compensation insurance is to enable workers to get the compensation they need after a work-related injury and protect the employer from a lawsuit.