What is the Most Common Type of Lift Truck Accident?

Lift truck accidents are considered dangerous accidents. Various types of lift truck accidents happen. Let’s know how these lift truck accidents occur and what you can do in such a situation.

The lift truck is one of the most essential and common equipments used for lifting and moving objects over short distances. Lift trucks can cause workers injuries, such as forklifts, motorized hand trucks, platform lift trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks, and these trucks can cause severe and even permanent injuries.

These lift trucks are used for pallets, boxes, crates, and other raised, lowered or removed containers. Lift trucks are frequently in catastrophic accidents and injuries since they are essential machines in areas like warehouses or construction sites. Now let’s understand what is the most common type of lift truck accident and how it occurs.

What is the Most Common Type of Lift Truck Accident?

One of the most common lift truck accidents is a forklift rollover or overturn. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common lift truck accidents are:

• Forklift rollovers
• Pedestrian accidents
• Falling Load accidents
• Accident falls from heights
• Personnel falling accidents
• Inexperience operator

Forklift Rollover Accidents

A forklift rollover accident can happen when the forklift’s center of gravity suddenly changes. When a lift truck rollovers, the driver may suffer crush injuries.

Pedestrian Accidents

Many forklift accidents result in injuries to people on foot. Forklifts have a large rear swing radius; under some circumstances, forklift operators may have poor visibility. An employee could suffer harm from being hit by a forklift or a falling load. Workers and bystanders should keep their distance while operating the lift truck.

Falling Load Accidents

Falling load accidents happen when forklift operators need to properly secure or transfer unstable loads.

Accident Falls from Heights

It can happen when forklift operators drive the trucks incorrectly on loading docks, ramps, or load platforms.

Falling Personnel Accidents

Workers standing on the forks of a forklift could fall from a height. Workers are not allowed to ride on the forks of a lift truck.

Inexperience Operator

Accidents due to operator inexperience are more likely to occur when operators are unfamiliar with the correct forklift techniques and safety measures.

Why are Forklifts Dangerous?

There are many types of forklifts differing in capacity and weight. Forklifts are large and powerful machines; according to their size and operation, safety measures shall be taken. Other features are high forklift speed and soft brakes, thus, making forklifts even more dangerous. Operators can prevent accidents and injuries by being aware of potential forklift pitfalls and following safe operating procedures.

• Forklifts are categorized as heavy machinery since they are large, bulky, and three times as heavy as many automobiles (9,000 pounds or more). 
• Forklifts are large and bulky, yet they can also move very quickly. With a top speed of 18 miles per hour, forklifts generate much kinetic energy.
• Forklifts can be challenging to stop quickly due to their immense weight and rapid speeds. 
• The common feature is soft brakes, which make it challenging to stop quickly.
• Despite their size, forklifts can be difficult to drive due to their narrow pathways. 
• The cargo is carried in the front, which limits the driver’s visibility.
• Since forklifts carry high loads, loading is an extremely risky operation. 
• Loading docks and involving material handling cause a lot of accidents.

Why Does Forklift Accident Happen?

• Lack of skills and experience
• Speeding, ignoring fork position, failing to yield to pedestrians, or engaging in horseplay 
• Careless or irresponsible driving
• Leaving the forklift unlocked when the operator leaves the controls
• Driving recklessly off a ramp’s side or up or down a dangerous incline
• Lack of maintenance
• Faults in manufacturing or design
• Lack of safety devices, including grab handles, roll cages, warning lights, and sirens

How to Make a Forklift Accident Claim?

You may be concerned about filing a claim against your employer. However, companies are not allowed to fire you for bringing a claim. If so, you would have a case for unjust dismissal and be eligible to make a compensation claim. Your employer might have certain employee insurance policies, and you wouldn’t be directly suing your company for your accident because you would claim the insurance.

When Can Someone Claim After the Forklift Accident?

You generally have three years from the accident date to file a claim for a work-related accident. Therefore, it is essential to begin the claim process as soon as possible. You will remember the accident’s specifics more clearly, and any witnesses will remember it more clearly. Meanwhile, starting as early as possible can make collecting some evidence and documents more accessible.

Experienced lawyers specializing in accident-at-work claims know what it takes to help you after an injury. They will always put your needs first by assisting you in finding the treatment to recover. To provide you with all the insurer’s expenses, your compensation may also get over any time with the help of a lawyer.

Compensation for Forklift Accident

You could claim compensation if you suffered injuries in a forklift accident at work due to someone else. You can make a workers’ compensation claim with the help of an industrial accident attorney. Generally, you can only sue your employer for negligence through a workers’ compensation claim if they are at fault for your forklift, construction, or other industrial accident. In that case, you might be entitled to file a case against the negligent manufacturer, equipment supplier, management company, or person.

Conclusion

When a worker gets hit by a lift truck, one of the most common and highly harmful lift truck accidents happens. It can happen when a worker is standing in the way of moving a lift truck or the driver’s negligence. In the above, we discussed what is the most common type of lift truck accident.

Workers crushed by industrial trucks like lift trucks may suffer severe wounds. Forklift accidents are lift truck accidents with a fork protruding from the front, and pallets and other items can be picked up and moved using the fork.

The term “forklift” can refer to both forklift trucks and reach trucks used to place and fetch things in a high position. Employers are responsible for setting measures to prevent forklift truck accidents from assuring the safety of people. Workplace accident attorneys are available to help you with the claim from the employer, and they may also be able to assist if you file a compensation claim.

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