Lift trucks, commonly known as forklifts, are specialized industrial vehicles used to lift and move boxes, crates, and pallets of goods over short distances.
In addition to standard forklifts, the category of powered industrial trucks includes order picker machines and electric platform trucks. Forklifts are used around warehouses, loading platforms, cargo bays, and large retail stores.
Although lift trucks are an indispensable tool for transferring heavy cargo, lift trucks require training to operate safely. Depending on the lift truck’s design, the operator may ride on the vehicle or control it while walking beside it.
Each type of industrial truck has certain hazards. Employers are required to ensure that each lift truck operator has completed training and is competent to operate the vehicle.
Lift trucks are a common source of workplace accidents in Kentucky and cause many serious injuries each year.
If you have been injured on the job in a lift truck accident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. If you have questions about your legal rights, talk to a knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyer.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
In a recent seven-year span, 614 workers were killed in forklift accidents and about 7,000 workers suffer nonfatal injuries in forklift incidents each year, resulting in days away from work annually.
In a single recent year, there were 74 fatal workplace injuries involving forklifts.
Among workers who suffered nonfatal forklift-related workplace injuries that year, the median number of days away from work was 13.
Common Types of Lift Truck Accidents and How to Prevent Them
Some of the most common types of lift truck accidents in Kentucky workplaces include:
- Forklift rollover accidents – A forklift rollover accident may occur after abrupt changes in a forklift’s center of gravity. A lift truck operator may suffer crush injuries in a rollover accident.
- Pedestrian accidents – Many workers on foot are injured in forklift accidents. Forklifts have a wide rear swing radius and forklift operators may have limited visibility in certain situations. A worker may sustain injuries from being struck by a forklift or by being hit by a falling load. Workers and bystanders should always stand clear of a lift truck in operation.
- Falling load accidents – Falling load accidents occur when forklift operators fail to properly secure their loads or otherwise transport unstable loads.
- Falls from heights accidents – Falls from heights accidents can occur when forklift operators improperly maneuver the vehicles on load platforms, ramps, or loading docks.
- Falling personnel accidents – Workers standing on the forks of a forklift may fall from an elevated height if the forks are raised. Workers should never ride on the forks of a lift truck.
- Operator inexperience accidents – Operators who are unfamiliar with the proper techniques and safety procedures for their forklifts are more likely to cause accidents
To prevent dangerous lift truck accidents, workers and employers should:
- Only operate forklifts after proper training and licensure
- Always use safety restraints when available
- Promptly report any forklift damage or issues
- Use extreme caution when operating a lift truck on inclines or ramps
- Only raise or lower the forks when the lift truck is stationary
- Never exceed the maximum capacity of the lift truck
Contact a Lift Truck Accident Lawyer If You Were Injured on the Job in Kentucky
Have you been injured in a lift truck accident while on the job in Kentucky? You need an attorney with Kentucky Courage to stand up for you if your employer has disputed your workers’ comp claim.
At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, our attorneys can help you pursue a workers’ compensation claim, a personal injury claim, or even a disability claim, depending on the circumstances of the accident. Call us today at (877) 809-5352 or contact us online to learn more in a free initial case review.
