According to OSHA (Operational Safety and Health Administration), it is estimated that approximately 100 fatalities occur each year as the result of accidents involving a forklift. Another 61,800 forklift operators suffer injuries as a result of accidents involving a forklift each year with an estimated 34,900 of those injuries being classified as serious. Approximately 856,000 forklifts are in operation in the United States alone so based on the above statistics 11 percent of these forklifts are involved in an accident of some type.
A forklifts operational life is about 8 years. During that time, there is a significant probability of the forklift driver being involved in an accident and sustaining a serious injury. We have provided a breakdown of the most common types of forklift accident injuries that a driver may suffer in a forklift accident:
- 42% – The vehicle tips over and the forklift operator is crushed.
- 25% – The forklift operator is crushed between the vehicle and another surface
- 11% – A person other than the forklift driver is crushed between the forklift and another vehicle
- 8% – The forklift operator or another person are struck by falling material
- A small percentage involve a fall from a platform on the machine’s forks
OSHA requires that all forklift operators receive adequate and appropriate training. Without proper training, both forklift drivers and those they come into contact with are at an increased risk of injury or death in a forklift accident. Mississippi state law requires that all forklift operators complete a training and evaluation program prior to receiving certification in the operation of a forklift. Training is provided by a qualified instructor utilizing OSHA standards for safety. Further, companies employing forklift operators are responsible for evaluating a driver’s skills prior to allowing its drivers to operate the equipment. Thereafter, forklift operators should be re-evaluated every three years. Should new equipment replace older equipment, training should be implemented to ensure all forklift operators keep their skills up to date.
Without proper training, or when safety regulations and standards are disregarded, accidents, sometimes fatal ones, will occur.
Below are some of the injuries that can result from an accident involving a forklift:
- Broken bones and internal injuries
- Brain injuries
- Amputation
- Spinal Cord injuries
Forklifts can easily overturn due to an unbalanced load; drivers can be thrown from a forklift and pinned beneath it; and the load a forklift is carrying may topple over, injuring either the driver or another person who is in close proximity.
Every employee has the right to work in a safe environment and employers are obligated to provide a work environment that is safe, protected and as free from the occurrence of accidents as possible. The only way to accomplish this is for employers to strictly adhere to all safety standards and regulations.
If you or a loved one has been injured or a loved one has died in an accident involving a forklift you may whether in an industrial plant, warehouse, construction site or any other site, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits from your employer. However, sometimes these benefits are woefully inadequate to compensate your fully for your economic and emotional injuries. Our Mississippi forklift accident attorneys may be able to represent you in bringing a personal injury lawsuit against third parties whose carelessness or lack of attention contributed to your forklift accident.