Safety, Cyber Threats and Lawsuits in the Roofing Industry

By Adam Cabrera. 

Proper training, documentation and communication are key to risk mitigation. 

In a recent episode of Roofing Road Trips, David Toney of Adams and Reese, a law firm known for construction law, shed light on common pitfalls faced by roofing contractors and the significance of being well-prepared to counteract them. 

David, who co-chairs the firm's construction team with Trent Cotney, highlighted the mounting instances of subcontractors and suppliers being embroiled in lawsuits related to construction defects and job-site issues. "I hate to say it's certainly not getting any easier for subcontractors and suppliers. Now, unfortunately, 99% of the time everybody's going to get dragged into these terrible lawsuits and it's very, very expensive," he says. 

He pointed out that the labor shortage was aggravating personal injury cases, as contractors often resort to inadequately trained labor. "Accidents you see, and certainly the ones that end up in personal injury and unfortunately death, a lot of times it's somebody took a shortcut or somebody just didn't know. And that's maybe even worse," David explains. 

To mitigate such risks, he underscored the importance of training, documentation and communication. He stated, "The companies that really take time and put care into training their folks, they're going to have less claims, they're going to have fewer incidents. It's a proven stat." 

Furthermore, David alerted contractors to the rising threat of cyber attacks and stressed the critical role of cybersecurity and cyber insurance. He insisted, "You've got to have cyber insurance now. It's widely known, it happens. Invest a little bit now and it will save you so much in money and headaches and anxiety later." 

David’s insights remind roofing contractors that being proactive with comprehensive training, proper documentation and robust cyber protection can prevent a myriad of expensive and disruptive problems. 

Listen to the Roofing Road Trips podcast to hear more about what is happening in construction law.