Forklift accidents are unfortunately common, and can leave victims facing significant medical expenses and extended time off from work to heal, which can lead to financial stress.
If you or someone you love was harmed, our local industrial accident attorneys can fight for you and your family. Our Fort Washington forklift accident lawyers can help you pursue compensation for your damages that affect your financial stability.
What Causes Forklift Accidents?
Forklift accidents often result from the operator’s inexperience, inattention, or negligent actions, such as speeding or improper loading. Accidents can also occur due to problems with the machine itself, such as faulty brakes or a lack of maintenance. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), some of the top causes of forklift accidents include:
- Forklift rollovers – Speeding around corners, uneven surfaces, unbalanced loads, or overloaded forks can cause forklift rollover accidents
- Forklift/pedestrian accidents – Forklifts can hit pedestrians, crush or pin pedestrians between vehicles or objects, and roll over onto people
- Falling loads – Sudden movement of the fork and improper loading/securing can cause loads to fall from the forklift and injure those around
- Falling people – Forklifts should never be used to transport or lift people, and using them in this way can lead to serious accidents
- Emissions poisoning – Operating a forklift in an enclosed space can make the driver and others working around the forklift sick from hazardous fumes
Who Is Liable for a Forklift Accident Injury?
Financial responsibility for your forklift accident damages may rest with one or more of the following liable parties:
- Your employer may be liable if they do not carry workers’ compensation insurance, and their negligence (such as failing to train forklift operators) contributed to the accident
- Forklift operators can be liable for operating forklifts in a dangerous, reckless, or careless manner
- Coworkers may be liable for negligent actions, such as riding the forks or failing to secure forklift loads
- A property owner can be liable for negligent and dangerous property conditions that lead to an accident
- If the forklift accident resulted from a defect with the machine itself, its manufacturer (or the entity in charge of its maintenance) may be at fault
If your employer does not provide workers’ compensation insurance, our Fort Washington attorneys can help you pursue a fault-based forklift accident liability claim against uninsured employers and liable third parties.
Possible Compensation
Our law firm fights to get our clients the maximum compensation possible, and can pursue every cent owed to you for your medical treatment, lost income, and lost earning capacity. We can also pursue monetary compensation for your physical, mental, and emotional pain and suffering, and reductions to your quality of life.
If your loved one’s forklift accident injuries were fatal, our team can help your family seek justice with a wrongful death claim. This compensation can provide you with financial relief, including funeral and burial costs.
Contact Us Today to Connect With Our Forklift Accident Lawyers in Fort Washington
A catastrophic injury involving heavy worksite machinery can put you out of commission for weeks or months, affecting your ability to earn an income. Our Fort Washington forklift accident lawyers can put our firm’s decades of experience behind your case, anywhere in Pennsylvania.
Contact us today to learn the potential value of your lawsuit and how our attorneys can assist with your legal matter..