Queens Forklift Accident Attorneys

Representing Injured Forklift Operators in NYC

Were you operating a forklift at work when you were hurt in an accident? Or did a forklift operator cause you to suffer an injury while you were working nearby? You could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits under New York’s workers’ compensation laws and regulations, and Harris Firm can help you file and manage a claim for them.

Our team of workers’ comp attorneys proudly represents injured workers in Queens and who work in all industries, including forklift operators in construction, warehousing, retail, etc. If you were hurt by a forklift or while operating one at work, we want to hear from you. Our familiarity with Queens and the other boroughs of NYC allows us to easily handle a case, no matter where you work.

Let us know if you were hurt in a forklift accident while working at or for:

• LaGuardia Airport
• Citi Field
• Queens Zoo
• NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
• Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Any other employer in Queens

Call Harris Firm at (718) 487-8669 to discuss your forklift accident claim today.

How Often Do Forklift Accidents Happen?

Important facts about forklift accidents, based on the most recent (2022) National Safety Council data, are:

• 73 fatal forklift accidents occurred overall.
• About half of all fatal forklift accidents happened while the forklift was used to transport products or equipment.
• More than half of all fatal forklift accidents happen in an industrial setting.
• Approximately 24,000 nonfatal forklift accidents happen each year.
• Workers injured in forklift accidents require 22 days away from work on average to recover.

What are the Most Common Forklift Accidents?

As the National Safety Council (NSC) data revealed, most forklift accidents happen in the product transportation/shipping industry or while the forklift is being used to move products and equipment, such as when a retail worker needs to take products down from a top shelf. What is not clear in the data is exactly how the average forklift accident happens. Workers’ compensation claims don’t require proof of liability, so it’s likely that determining the cause of the accident is not prioritized by investigators.

However, it can safely be assumed that common types of workplace negligence and mistakes often contribute to forklift accidents in Queens, such as:

• Inadequate training or no forklift operator certification.
• Improperly loading or overloading the lift.
• Operator distraction such as talking with another worker.
• Driving the forklift too fast for current conditions.
• Worker distraction that causes them to walk in front of a moving forklift.
• Lack of safety gates or warnings that a forklift is being used in an area of a jobsite.

Injuries Caused by Forklift Accidents

Forklift accidents often involve the operator hitting someone, a motorist hitting the forklift, or the forklift dropping materials onto another worker. All these accident types can result in many different severe injuries.

NSC data shows that forklift accidents most often result in these injuries:

• Multiple traumatic injuries and disorders
• Intracranial injuries (head and brain injuries)
• Internal injuries to organs and blood vessels (mostly in the chest)
• “Other” traumatic injuries and disorders

No matter what injury you suffered in a workplace forklift accident, you could be covered by workers’ compensation, so it’s worth exploring your options. You should also tell your employer right away if you suffer any sort of forklift accident injury and seek medical attention.

If you lost a loved one to a fatal forklift accident, workers’ compensation could provide your family with death benefits. Harris Firm can handle workers’ comp cases involving death benefits, too, so you can focus on being with your loved ones and healthily grieving, not legal complications.

Who is Liable for Forklift Accidents?

Many forklift accidents can be traced back to operator errors, and many others involve the negligence of other motor vehicle operators on or near the same jobsite. In these cases, liability or “fault” could be placed on the forklift operator or the other driver, respectively.

However, workers’ compensation in New York is a “no-fault” insurance system, which means it is not required for the claimant to prove liability to file a claim and get benefits. Instead, the forklift accident in question must have happened while the claimant was performing job-related duties. If your employer is trying to say that you can’t get workers’ compensation because your mistake caused your forklift accident and injuries, please call (718) 487-8669 to talk to the Queens forklift accident lawyers of Harris Firm right away.

Filing a Forklift Accident Injury Claim

Workers’ compensation benefits may be available to you after a forklift accident in Queens, but they won’t be given to you automatically. You have to notify your employer about the accident and injuries and start the claims process. To make sure you don’t miss any important steps or processes, let our workers’ compensation lawyers handle everything from start to finish.

When you need to file a forklift accident claim, we can help by:

• Investigating the accident to check for any possible difficulties or challenges that could arise.
• Reviewing the accident report that your employer should have created.
• Interviewing witnesses and coworkers who may have more information about the forklift accident.
• Filing a workers’ compensation claim that pursues the maximum benefits for you.
• Responding to any inquiries or information requests from the insurance company.
• Representing you in hearings if your workers’ comp case is denied for any reason.

Talk with Our Queens Forklift Accident Attorneys Now

If you were hurt in a forklift accident in Queens, you should explore your legal options now with the help of Harris Firm. We take pride in standing up for injured local workers from all industries. The workers’ compensation process can be complicated, but we’re here to help simplify it for you.

Call (718) 487-8669 to request a free, no-obligation case evaluationwith our attorneys.