Forklift Accidents

Forklift accidents often cause tragic injuries. Illustrative of the severity of those injuries, our firm resolved a forklift accident case for $1,950,000.00 and another for $1,600,000.00. Both of those cases involved serious crush injuries to the foot or leg. We have handled forklift cases involving: a worker in a warehouse who was run over by one of the forklift’s tires; a customer who was struck by a forklift while shopping in a warehouse style store; a delivery driver injured when an forklift operator dropped cargo; and a worker injured when the forklift he was driving rolled over. Whether you are injured on the job or as a customer involved in a forklift incident at a place of business, the Jacksonville forklift accident lawyers at The Lawrence Law Group can assist you in obtaining the compensation you deserve including: lost wages; medical bills; disability; and pain and suffering. Our personal injury lawyers are familiar with the complexities of these cases, and we can make sure that clients receive the financial compensation to which they are entitled. If you need assistance after a forklift accident that harmed you or that claimed the life of a loved one, you should contact our office to discuss your legal rights and options.

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), forklifts contribute to approximately 100 fatalities and 95,000 injuries annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has cited forklifts as a factor in one in six workplace fatalities. Industries most affected by forklift accidents include manufacturing, construction, transportation, wholesale, and retail. Common types of forklift accidents are:

• Forklift rollovers.
• Crushing incidents involving victims being crushed directly by a forklift or being crushed between a forklift and a surface or another vehicle.
• Forklifts striking pedestrians.
• Victims being struck by loads falling from the forklift.

Under Florida’s workers’ compensation laws, employers must provide compensation to people injured at work in the form of medical expenses, lost wages, and disability benefits. Employers with four or more employees are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Employees do not need to prove that their employer was at fault for causing an accident in order to collect workers’ compensation benefits. Instead, they need to show that the injuries occurred on the job. Forklift accidents often result from insufficient training or a failure to follow proper safety procedures, and inadequate maintenance can also lead to injuries to workers or nearby pedestrians. A forklift accident attorney at our Jacksonville firm can advise you on all of the legal options that are available to you.

People visiting businesses are also at risk of suffering injuries in a forklift accident. In these situations, victims can pursue a personal injury claim against the party responsible for causing their injuries. By law, forklift operators must be trained to handle the specific challenges associated with operating this equipment. Employers are responsible for ensuring that training is properly completed and that other requirements for forklift operation are met. When a forklift driver is not trained properly or engages in careless or reckless behavior, serious harm such as spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and even death can result. Victims of forklift accidents can pursue personal injury lawsuits if the negligence of someone other than their employer or a co-worker caused their injuries. Victims can receive compensation for medical costs, lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, lost enjoyment of life, and other damages. If a forklift accident leads to the loss of a life, certain relatives can file a wrongful death claim. Family members have two years from the date of a victim’s death to pursue a claim, while personal injury plaintiffs have four years from the date of their injury in which to file suit. Consulting a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible following a forklift accident is vital to ensure that your legal rights are protected.

Because of their unique structure and difficulty to maneuver, forklifts cause significant injuries all too often, and these accidents may devastate an entire family. The personal injury and workers’ compensation attorneys at The Lawrence Law Group offer compassionate and zealous legal advocacy. Our Jacksonville forklift accident attorneys serve injured people throughout Duval, Clay, Nassau, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Baker, Brevard, Union, Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton, Jefferson, Volusia, and Alachua Counties. If you need a lawyer following a forklift rollover or another type of forklift accident, you can contact us online or at (904) 632-0077 to find out more about our services at no cost to you.