From manufacturing and construction to shipping and logistics, forklifts help workers move heavy loads with ease. While forklifts are a key tool in these industries, it’s important that workers operate them safely and cautiously.
When workers aren’t trained to operate a forklift properly or fail to take safety precautions, serious accidents can happen. If you’ve been hurt in such an incident, a Buffalo forklift accident lawyer from Morelli Law can help you.
Our attorneys have recovered over $1 billion in damages for victims of construction accidents, workplace injuries, and a number of other incidents. We can identify the party who is responsible for your forklift accident and hold them liable for your medical bills and lost wages.
How a Buffalo Forklift Accident Attorney Can Help You
An attorney will take several steps to get the financial support and benefits you deserve. However, each step in the claims process has its difficulties and obstacles, so it’s essential that you hire a skilled lawyer who has experience working on forklift injury claims.
A seasoned lawyer from our firm can make sure that every part of your case is handled correctly. They’ll draw on their expertise and resources to complete the following steps:
Evaluate Your Losses
Severe accidents and injuries can impact your life in so many ways that it might be hard to wrap your head around the damage that’s been caused. Fortunately, a forklift accident lawyer in Buffalo, NY, can identify all of the financial losses, employment-related setbacks, and inconveniences you’ve experienced.
They’ll calculate your monetary losses and use special mathematical formulas to determine how much you’re owed for challenges like pain and emotional distress. Depending on your circumstances, they may pursue compensation for any of the following losses:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Decreased earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Property damage expenses
Find Out Who Caused Your Accident
Most forklift accidents are caused by an employer or forklift operator’s negligence. To determine who is at fault, your attorney can investigate your accident and use evidence to identify the guilty party.
They may use testimony from your co-workers, security camera footage from your place of work, and other forms of evidence to find out who caused the incident. A lawyer can seek to hold your employer liable if the incident was caused by one of the following factors:
- Failure to provide safety training for forklift operators
- Failure to enforce safety protocol
- Failure to maintain forklifts and safety equipment on a regular basis
- Failure to provide low clearance warning signage
Forklift operators can also be held liable for injuries, financial losses, and emotional struggles caused by an accident. An attorney can pursue damages from a forklift operator for the following acts of negligence:
- Failure to warn other workers that they are near
- Driving a forklift recklessly or too fast
- Reversing a forklift improperly
- Allowing a co-worker to ride on a forklift
- Moving unbalanced loads of loads that are too high
- Sudden stops
File a Lawsuit on Your Behalf
Since a workers’ compensation claim might not cover the full extent of your losses, it’s important to speak with a lawyer about your other options. A forklift accident attorney in Buffalo, NY, can determine whether you should stick with a workers’ comp claim or pursue a personal injury lawsuit.
If filing a lawsuit against your employer or co-worker is your best course of action, a lawyer can prepare your suit, ensure that it’s filed on time, and represent you in court. If your trial goes according to plan, you’ll likely receive a high-value jury award.
At Morelli Law, our attorneys have a knack for delivering impressive case results for construction, workplace, and forklift accident victims. Whether you’re pursuing an insurance claim or lawsuit, we’ll work hard to obtain the compensation you’re entitled to.
Filing Deadline for Forklift Accident Lawsuits in Buffalo, NY
If you’ve been injured in a forklift accident in Buffalo, you’ll have three years from the date of your incident to hire an attorney and file a personal injury lawsuit. According to CVP § 214, failure to abide by the three-year deadline could prevent you from recovering losses.
If your spouse or family member has passed away due to forklift accident injuries, you may have even less time to take legal action. EPTL §5-4 states that you have two years from the date of your loved one’s death to submit a wrongful death lawsuit.
A forklift accident attorney from our team in Buffalo will know which filing deadline applies to your case. Make sure to contact an attorney ASAP, so they have enough time to comply with New York’s statute of limitations.
Buffalo Forklift Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
Injuries We Can Help You Treat and Recuperate From
Due to the size of a forklift and the force one can exert when in use, forklift accidents can cause painful injuries and serious health complications. Depending on the severity of your injury, you could rack up thousands of dollars worth of medical bills.
Our team understands how expensive it can be to recover from a debilitating injury, which is why we can pursue compensation for every medical bill you receive. We can also work with medical experts to estimate how much you’ll need to cover future medical costs.
Our Buffalo forklift accident attorneys will work tirelessly to get the damages you need to manage any of the following conditions:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Neck and back injuries
- Disfigurement
- Broken bones
- Paralysis
- Loss of limb
- And more
If you sustained one of these injuries at your workplace or while passing by a job site where forklifts were in use, we can help you understand your rights. If we determine that you’re eligible to take legal action, we’ll do our best to file a winning suit on your behalf.
You Can Count on Us to Protect Your Rights After an Accident
No matter how serious your injuries are, you can always turn to the team at Morelli Law to get the reliable counsel and representation you need to file a successful claim or lawsuit. Our firm has represented injured employees and families of deceased workers since 1998.
We have the experience required to identify the party responsible for your accident and hold them liable for your expenses and suffering. Schedule a free case evaluation with a Buffalo forklift accident lawyer to learn more about how we can protect your right to fair compensation.