Forklift accidents can cause serious injury or death for unsuspecting workers and bystanders. If you have been injured in a tragic forklift accident, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. A forklift accident lawyer in Belleville may help you to maximize your claim.
Morelli Law Firm, a dedicated team of nationally recognized construction injury lawyers, has helped countless victims of injuries caused by negligence.
Our injury attorneys understand how devastating an industrial forklift accident can be, and have worked tirelessly to win the justice that our clients deserve, securing over $1 billion worth of verdicts on behalf of our clients.
Common Causes of Forklift Accidents That Lead to Injury Claims
Forklifts can be extremely dangerous pieces of equipment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), requires specific safety rules related to their operation in order to keep workers safe.
Numerous types of accidents that occur due to forklift operations can be attributed to negligence. A forklift accident attorney in Belleville can investigate your case to identify the responsible parties.
Lack of Operator Training
Operator training issues are often to blame for these types of accidents. The operator should be regularly trained in how to safely use a forklift in order to prevent injury. If this type of negligence is a factor in an accident, it may be possible to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Lack of Safety Gear
Having proper safety gear such as hard hats, protective clothing, and warning signs can drastically reduce the potential for a dangerous incident occurring onsite. Employers may fail to provide this essential gear and that can be considered negligence.
Falling Cargo
Unstable cargo loads and uneven weight distribution can contribute to accidents that result in the forklift falling over or spilling cargo onto other people in the area.
Falling From the Forklift
An employee may stand atop the cargo or directly on the lift. Without the proper precautions, a person can fall from the forks or the materials being lifted. Falls from height can lead to serious injuries or death.
Driving Off The Dock
Workers may drive completely off the dock and fall into a loading bay in some instances. It is not uncommon for a miscommunication between a truck driver and the lift operator to lead to an accident. The truck driver may unwittingly pull away from the dock as the lift driver is about to drive into the trailer of the truck.
These accidents are particularly dangerous. Cargo and the forklift itself can fall on top of the operator causing catastrophic injuries or death. Accidents involving forklifts falling from the dock are a primary cause of forklift fatalities, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Who Can Be Held Liable For A Forklift Accident?
Forklift accidents can be particularly dangerous due to the size and weight of these vehicles. If you have been injured due to a forklift accident, it is important to understand that there may be more than one liable party. These may include:
- Subcontractors
- The forklift manufacturers
- Forklift operators
- The owner of the forklift
In order for any of these parties to be held responsible, our legal team must conduct an extensive investigation into the details of the incident. We will collect evidence such as:
- Witness statements
- Photos of the accident scene
- Surveillance camera footage
There may be other relevant information we gather in order to build a case that demonstrates negligence and liability on behalf of someone else.
Forklift accidents can have drastic consequences, such as serious injury, disability, or even death. If you experienced any of these outcomes due to someone else’s negligence, you might have grounds for filing a legal claim.
To do so successfully, however, it is important that your Belleville forklift accident lawyer be able to establish who the responsible party(s) are and how their negligence contributed to your harm.
Belleville Forklift Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
A Company’s Operations Can Contribute to Accidents
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, every year there are about 100 worker fatalities and 20,000 major injuries resulting from forklift-related accidents across the United States. That means that one out of every 10 forklifts ends up in an accident each year.
Forklift accidents can occur due to how a company operates in a number of ways. The most common contributing factor is often production-related, such as time pressure or haste affecting the training given to forklift operators or pressure to inspect and maintain the machines.
A lack of safety equipment can impact an employee’s ability to do their job safely. Additionally, ignoring industry standards and regulations, and a lack of warning signs for pedestrians can lead to injury accidents. A forklift accident attorney in Belleville can identify these liabilities to bolster your claim.
Forklift Accident Injuries Can Be Severe
The injuries after a forklift incident can leave the victim seriously injured, maimed, or even disabled. The medical costs to treat these injuries can be astronomical.
Common forklift-related injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Cuts and lacerations
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Limb loss
- Paralysis
- Crushing injuries or internal bleeding
In addition to this external danger, workers operating forklifts can experience psychological trauma such as PTSD due to their workplace accidents. Whatever type of injury results from a forklift accident, extended medical treatment is often necessary for a full recovery.
Your Belleville forklift accident attorney can negotiate aggressively with insurance companies to ensure that you receive adequate compensation to cover your medical costs and get the care you need.
Workplace Accidents and Construction Accidents
The Workers’ Compensation Program offers financial assistance to those injured while working, regardless of fault. However, these benefits do not cover all losses, such as pain and suffering. Workers have additional rights and entitlements for suing for damages after a forklift accident.
It is important to seek legal counsel from our construction accident lawyers in Belleville to discuss legal options for compensation beyond workers’ compensation benefits.
Contact A Belleville Personal Injury Law Firm To Learn More About How We Can Help
When you have been involved in a forklift accident, you need an experienced law firm on your side to ensure that all of your losses are covered.
If a corporate legal team is representing the other party, it’s important to know that the personal injury lawyers of Morelli Law Firm know how to challenge their claims and fight for fair compensation on your behalf.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation to learn more about how we may be able to help you.