Forklift Injuries

Whether working in a warehouse or in a store room in the back of a department store, utilizing a forklift is a necessary operation for millions of Americans each year. Sometimes using a forklift can result in serious injuries, including devastating crushing injuries which result in debilitating or permanent harm. At Altman & Altman LLP, our Massachusetts-based personal injury attorneys are well versed in handling forklift injury cases and ensuring that you are able to collect ample payments from workers’ compensation.

Forklifts are used to lift large packages or equipment, often weighing many hundreds of pounds, to heights unreachable otherwise. They utilize hydraulics to make easy work of such tasks, but they can also pose a serious danger to their operators.

Injuries from forklifts can happen in a variety of ways, including:

Tipping injuries
Forklifts are not like normal motor vehicles. They are often narrow and not balanced in weight distribution. The lift part of a forklift consists of large metal forks to secure the payload and a metallic rail system on which the forks can move up and down. This uneven weight distribution, combined with forklifts usually having smaller tires, makes tipping the forklift incredibly easy to do if the operator is not careful.

Tipping a forklift can result in the operator being pinned beneath it, causing devastating crushing injuries to bones, the operator being struck by its payload or result in serious head injuries from impact with the ground.

Forklift malfunction
Forklifts, like any piece of machinery, are not infallible. The lift mechanism can fail when the hydraulic system malfunctions, which can injure an operator when the payload falls on top of them or even if hydraulic fluid sprays out – which can spray at a very high velocity and cause serious soft tissue damage. Forklifts which run on fuel such as propane or gasoline may have fuel tank issues which result in ruptures, which can seriously injure workers.

Falling debris
Forklifts are designed to delicately stack, place and manipulate huge loads of materials high in the air. Sometimes these stacks of materials can go all the way to the ceiling. These towers of supplies can become hazardous and tip over, resulting in horrific injuries or possibly death due to the weight and height from which these items may fall.

After an injury on the job, regardless of how it occurred, you have a right to receive workers’ compensation payments to sustain you throughout the duration of your recovery from the injury. At Altman & Altman LLP, we have over 50 years of experience advocating on behalf of our clients who are injured while on the job in order to ensure they are able to collect the most workers’ compensation for the longest amount of time.

Being injured in a forklift accident can result in seriously debilitating injuries which render you unable to work, so it is vital to be able to work with a team of compassionate, experienced personal injury attorneys who can handle dealing with insurance companies and your employer, as dealing with making sure you’re receiving ample workers’ compensation is the last thing you should have to worry about.

We offer free consultations to go over the details of your specific case, and will give you the personalized attention necessary in order to guarantee a high level of satisfaction. When you’re injured, you need people to have your back. At Altman & Altman, that’s exactly what we specialize in. Call us for a free consultation today at 617.492.3000 or toll-free at 800.481.6199. We are available 24/7.