i was repairing a roof in feb 08 on a private residence. i slid off the roof. to date i have sixty thousand dollars in medical bills.is the homeowner liable and is there a statute of limitations?
I will start with the easy part. If there is negligence on behalf of the homeowner, there is a 2 year statute of limitations.
Now, to the more complex parts. You may have a tough time proving negligence. The question becomes what, if anything, did the homeowner do wrong. If you can prove the homeowner did something wrong, you can recover your damages. If you cannot, you do not have a negligence claim.
However, a standard homeowners policy has workers compensation coverage. This should provide payment for your medical bills.
I would highly encourage you to contact an attorney in your area to deal with the situation since if you try to do it on your own, you may get the run around.
It is not clear from your question whether you were working as an independent contractor or as an employee of a company when you fell. If you were an independent contractor, then your only remedy may be the homeowner's policy if you can prove negligence. Otherwise, you should be covered by workers' compensation. You have two years to file a workers' compensation claim and you are coming up on the two year mark so you want to make sure all of the right things have been done. You should consult an experienced and knowledgeable Virginia attorney.
