Forklift Fatalities on the Job: Have You Suffered a Forklift Injury?

On Monday morning at Dow Machine Corporation in NW Harris County, a worker died instantly when a forklift fell on him. The cause behind the tragic forklift fatality remains under investigation.

Forklift operation in the workplace causes tens of thousands of serious injuries and dozens of fatalities each year. Forklift injuries can be particularly debilitating and nasty, due to the massive weight of the machine in relation to the victim. Crushing injuries and fatalities are most common.

How many forklift injuries occur and how much do they cost their victims?

• The average cost of a forklift injury is more than $4,800.
• In 29% of all forklift injury cases, it’s the forklift driver who is injured.
• 1 in 5 forklift injuries occur from forklifts hitting employees who are on foot and unaware of the forklift being operated nearby.
• Around 100 U.S. workers die each year in fatal forklift accidents.
• Almost 35,000 U.S. workers each year receive serious injuries from forklift accidents on the job.
• And over 61,000 U.S. workers receive non-serious injuries in forklift accidents.

In fatal forklift accidents,

• 42% of victims are crushed when the forklift tips over on them.
• 11% of forklift fatalities happen when victims get crushed between two vehicles.
• 25% of victims are crushed between a forklift and another surface.
• 10% of forklift fatalities result when a person is hit or run over by a vehicle.
• 18% of forklift fatalities occur when a load falls from a forklift.
• 4% of victims die when their forklift falls from or drives off a platform.

Many fatal and non-fatal forklift accidents occur from overloading the forklift, elevating people by using the forklift. A small percentage of accidents occur because the forklift has received poor or improper maintenance of its brakes, steering, hydraulic systems, etc. A lack of forklift rollover protection safety devices also results in needless crushing injuries and deaths.

And in some instances, the workplace where a forklift is being operated has simply not been properly designed for such machines. For example, aisles may be too narrow or full, there might be a high level of pedestrian traffic, or noise levels might be too high for other people to notice forklifts operating in their vicinity until it’s too late.

Contact Harris County Forklift Injury Attorneys Tony Denena and Chad Points to Discuss Your Potential for Financial Recovery after a Serious Forklift Injury

Call or contact the experienced Harris County forklift injury attorneys at Denena & Points to find out if you have the basis for a forklift injury-related lawsuit. Don’t just settle for minimal workman’s compensation that won’t pay all your expenses. Talk to one of our Texas Board Certified Harris County forklift injury attorneys about what happened and what we could do to help you win a full financial recovery.

Your initial legal consultation is FREE and without obligation. And if you decide to hire us to help you with your injury lawsuit, we don’t charge you attorney’s fees unless we win your case for you. You have nothing to lose, so call or contact us online today for your free, private legal consultation.