Forklift Accidents

A Forklift Accident Attorney in New York Who Knows How to Get Results

Compared to bulldozers, cranes or excavators, forklifts can seem easy to maneuver. But the truth is that each year, construction site workers, factory employees and warehouse staff are hurt or killed by forklift accidents. Because the forklift palette can be raised, extended, lowered or retracted-and since forklift weight capacity ranges from 1-ton inventory loads in a warehouse to 50-ton shipping containers in dockyards-the potential for forklift operator injury is very high.

Forklift Driver Injuries Can Be Debilitating-Call Us Today For Fierce Legal Representation

Forklift injuries can include back injury, shoulder and neck injury, knee injuries, broken bones and severe injuries requiring surgery, particularly if a forklift fell on you. Forklift accidents are covered by workers compensation benefits, and take many forms, including:

Overloaded forklift tips forward
Load falls off forklift, landing on a co-worker
Forklift tips over, ejecting driver from cab
Collides with other equipment or buildings
Forklift falls off loading dock, ramp or dockside
Hit by trucks or railroad cars while loading and unloading
Loose or broken duckboards in a shipping yard
Broken overhead guard, lifting chain, mast, carriage or crosshead
Not enough forklift clearance, crushing overhead guard

Forklift Safety Standards

Many forklift accidents happen when owners and managers do not follow state Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) safety procedures.

At any New York worksite, management has a level of responsibility for ensuring safe forklift operations. NYSDOT says that, to meet safety standards, management must ensure:

No stunt driving, horseplay or passengers
No speeding on wet or slippery surfaces
Horns work and are blown at cross aisles and where vision is obstructed
Dock plates are secure
There is a clear view of the travel path
Only stable loads are handled
Elevators are approached slowly
Forklifts are checked daily for defects
Only trained employees run forklifts
When unattended, the equipment’s fork will be fully lowered, controls neutralized, power off, and brakes set

To make sure that forklifts are driven by only qualified workers, management must professionally train staff. NYSDOT says that forklift drivers should be educated in the basics of operation as well as how to drive safely on various surface conditions, how to avoid pedestrians in narrow aisles, the types of materials the machine can and cannot handle, and how to spot forklift defects, among other things.

New York Forklift Accident Attorneys Put Experience and Resources to Work For Clients

Whether you drive a warehouse pallet jack in Queens, a factory reach truck in Manhattan, a construction site walkie stacker on Staten Island or a rider order picking truck in a Bronx distribution center, any forklift that is not regularly inspected and repaired, or a defective forklift, could be hazardous to both the forklift operator and co-workers nearby.

If you or a loved one was injured in a forklift accident, take the right step by contacting an experienced forklift accident lawyer in New York. Call Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP toll-free at (800) 692-3717 or contact us online for a free evaluation. You deserve compensation for your injuries. We can help.