Roofing is one of the most dangerous civilian occupations in the United States. Not only are workers prone to injuries from carrying heavy loads, using dangerous equipment, and becoming fatigued from being exposed to the elements for many hours at a time, but the added risk of a fall is what makes the job truly perilous. According to the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) Data Center, a study found that roofing actually made up one-third of fall-related fatalities within the construction sector from 1992 to 2009. This is striking, because roofers do not make up anywhere near one third of construction workers . Additionally, the study found troubling data that showed that roofers who were employed by smaller companies, as well as those roofers who were residential construction workers, Hispanic roofers, and immigrant roofers had the highest rates of fatal roofing accidents.

More Than 2,000Roofing Fatalities From 1992 to 2009

In total, there were 20,498 occupational fatalities in the construction industry from the years 1992 to 2009, according to EHStoday.com. Statistics show that6,591 of those were from falls, and of those, 2,163 fatalities were the result of a roofing fall. Falls, not surprisingly, account for 76 percent of roofing fatalities and roofers are three times as likely to die on the job than other construction workers. The study suggests that roofing contractors need to have written fall protection programs, as well as adequate fall training and equipment. Often, the proper equipment is not used in roofing projects. While 34 percent of the roofing deaths were from residential work, only 18 percent of all construction deaths occur on residential projects. This suggests that fall protection equipment is not used sufficiently in residential work. Likewise, the smaller the roofing crew or construction company, the more likely it is that those workers will suffer serious injury or death from a roofing fall. Two-thirds offatal roofing falls occurred when the crew was made up of fewer than 10 employees. Finally, Hispanic workers accounted for a disproportionately large number of fatal falls. They make up 25 percent of all construction fatalities, yet made up 35 percent of fatal roofing falls.

Illinois workers’ compensation laws set forth specific procedures for filing a claim. If everything goes smoothly, the employer will not dispute a claim, allowing the claimant to receive benefits promptly. However, if the employer disputes the claim, the claimant must provide sufficient facts to support a reasonable inference that the injury occurred in the course of employment.

An Illinois workers’ compensation attorney will make sure that the facts are presented and make any reasonable inferences to build your case. However, the employers’ attorneys will also fight hard to prove the contrary.

Take the case of Ms. Oliver, for example, a second grade teacher who was going about her day. As she was walking back from the office, Ms. Oliver fell, injuring herself to the point that she needed to file a workers’ compensation claim. Unfortunately for her, the school disputed that her injury occurred in the course of her employment , which meant that she had to prove otherwise.