Among the nine most common forklift injuries are bruises, lacerations, fractures, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. Forklift accident injuries vary widely and affect victims in a variety of ways. Understanding how they occur and the types of accidents that cause lasting injuries could help you avoid them.
If you or a loved one suffered a forklift injury, our team is here for you. Our Long Island construction accident lawyer will review your legal options and explain how we handle these cases. Keep reading to learn more about forklift accidents and how we hold the liable parties accountable.
- What Are Some of the Most Common Forklift Accident Injuries?
- Understanding the Causes and Consequences of Forklift Accidents
- Who Is Liable for Forklift Accidents and Injuries?
- How Will a Forklift Injury Lawyer Help With Your Accident Case
- Discuss Your Forklift Accident Injuries With Our Team for Free
What Are Some of the Most Common Forklift Accident Injuries?
When a forklift accident happens, ensuring the injured workers get medical care as soon as possible must be the top priority. Those with severe or catastrophic injuries will need some combination of evaluation, stabilization, and care at a trauma center. In some cases, a mistake during a forklift operation could cause a fatal accident.
Relatively minor injuries that occur in forklift accidents include:
- Bruises
- Lacerations
In more serious incidents, workers could suffer injuries that require medical treatment or possibly surgery and could keep them out of work for weeks. Common types of injuries include:
- Fractures
- Severe sprains and muscle tears
When a serious forklift accident occurs, catastrophic injuries are possible. These injuries are life-altering, and their treatment and rehabilitation often take months or even years:
- Traumatic amputations
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Internal injuries
- Crush injuries
If you suffered injuries in a forklift-related incident, it is likely that you are entitled to compensation. Our team will fight for the recovery you need from a forklift driver or any other liable party.
For a free legal consultation, call 516-932-0400
Understanding the Causes and Consequences of Forklift Accidents
Most forklift accidents occur because of negligence. The property owner or general contractor fails to ensure all workers follow safety rules, including operating forklifts properly. This, on top of improper training or a culture of carelessness on site, often quickly leads to an environment where forklift accidents could occur.
Some of the most common ways forklift accidents occur include:
- Rollovers: Forklifts often experience rollovers when they are on uneven ground, they’re carrying overweight loads, the operator drives with an elevated load, or they’re driven with excessive speed. A rollover could cause serious injuries to the operator and others nearby.
- Cargo loss: When the load falls from a forklift, anyone nearby could suffer injuries. This is much more common when there is an improperly secured or uneven load, or the operator drives with an elevated load.
- Pedestrian collisions: Unfortunately, construction workers could be struck by a forklift when they are walking. There are many options for reducing this risk, including forklift operator training and safe pedestrian walkways.
Workers should never stand or sit on the forklift mast. This quickly leads to falls or collision injuries. Anything that creates uneven weight distribution or causes the forklift to surpass its weight capacity could lead to injuries.
Who Is Liable for Forklift Accidents and Injuries?
When a forklift accident occurs and causes injuries, victims could have a viable case against those who are in charge of the site. Liable parties could include the property owner, a general contractor, or the company that sold or maintained the forklift.
Those who oversee the site must ensure all workers follow the necessary guidelines, laws, and safety protocols. There are numerous local, state, and federal rules in place to protect construction workers from serious injuries. Those who should enforce these rules may be held liable for injuries that occur because they are not followed.
They have a responsibility to ensure:
- They provide the correct training for operators
- Safe operation of forklifts
- They create a culture that values safety
- Forklift loads are the correct weight
- Workers do not become careless and complacent
- The forklifts are well-maintained and functioning properly
There are also steps that property owners and general contractors should take to make the site safer for all workers and others who are present. This could include requiring high-visibility vests, marking forklift paths with tape, and ensuring everyone is aware of the dangers of working near a forklift.
When a forklift accident occurs and hurts workers, those workers could pursue compensation and demand justice from the property owner, general contractor, or another liable party.
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How Will a Forklift Injury Lawyer Help With Your Accident Case
When our forklift injury lawyers handle a case for a client, we identify the types of damages they suffered and seek compensation based on them. If the loss of a loved one in a forklift accident is what has brought you to our website, we extend our heartfelt condolences to you and your family. Our wrongful death lawyers handle cases involving forklift-related fatalities. We consider it a special privilege to represent the surviving family members of wrongful death victims. We are determined to win the compensation you need and the justice your departed loved one deserves.
There is a limited time to file an injury lawsuit under New York Civil Practice Laws & Rules § 214 (Please note, while Rule § 214 is often applicable, a shorter statute of limitations may apply to your case. We strongly recommend that you call us for a free case review to fully understand your deadline to act and your best options to move forward.) There are also other reasons why acting quickly is imperative after an injury accident. Evidence disappears quickly after these collisions or crashes. Ensuring we recover video, witness statements or other evidence as soon as possible could make the difference in your case.
When you enlist our attorneys to represent you, count on us to:
- Keep you updated on your case and answer your questions as they arise
- Identify liable parties and build a case against them
- Communicate with all parties for you, including negotiating for a settlement
- Gather evidence of your forklift-related accident to support your claim or lawsuit
- Determine a value for your case
- Work tirelessly to win the best possible case outcome for you
When injuries are serious and will likely require future care and support, we call in expert witnesses who allow us to understand your prognosis, future expenses, and other factors that affect these cases. These experts include medical experts, vocational rehabilitation specialists, life care planners, and economists.
We represent clients on a contingency-fee basis. Our attorneys meet with people on Long Island or elsewhere in the New York metropolitan area. You could recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and any other type of damages you suffered because of a forklift safety issue.
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Discuss Your Forklift Accident Injuries With Our Team for Free
At Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., our attorneys are passionate advocates for the injured. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in any type of forklift accident, we will review your rights and legal options with you today for free. We have a multilingual staff who will discuss your case with you in Spanish, Greek, Bengali, Tamil, or Kannada.
Call for a free consultation or use our online contact form to connect with our team today.
Call or text 516-932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form