Hey everyone, I'm looking for some reassurance after an incident with a roofing contractor we hired to remove an old swamp cooler from our roof. The roofer fell off the 1-story roof and landed face-first on concrete. Thankfully, he survived but sustained some serious injuries, including a broken eye socket and arm. He wasn't using any fall protection, which raises some concerns for us as homeowners. The roofing company is licensed and insured, and we did our due diligence before hiring them. My main worry is whether we could face any legal repercussions as a result of this accident. The contractor should have followed safety precautions according to OSHA guidelines, but he didn't. I'm under the impression that any legal issues would fall on him and his employer rather than us. Is that the case? What should we be aware of moving forward?
4 Answers
It's very rare for homeowners to be held liable for accidents like this, especially when the contractor should be responsible. Just make sure you understand your contract. If they were subcontracted by a larger company, there might be other liabilities, but generally, you should be fine.
That sounds super stressful! But just remember, that's what contractors pay for insurance for — to cover incidents like this. I think you should be in the clear liability-wise. Just keep track of everything. Waiting it out sounds like a smart move.
You did the right thing by hiring a licensed and insured contractor, which means you're likely off the hook for legal issues here. But I'd advise against contacting your homeowners insurance at this point. Just give it time, and let the contractor handle any claims related to the accident.
Don’t worry too much! According to the law, as long as you weren’t negligent, you shouldn't be liable. Keep all your documentation and any footage you have just in case, but this usually falls back on the contractor and their insurance.