We are personal injury solicitors specialising in claiming compensation for clients injured in forklift accidents. Catherine Smith has experience with all types of work injury claims, and introduces our services in this video.

Read more about forklift truck accidents below, or use our free legal advice service opposite to ask us a question or to get started making a claim.

Forklift Accident Compensation

Forklift, 'reach' and 'stand up' trucks are used to lift, move and store heavy loads across a variety of industries, including construction, distribution and engineering, as well as in locations such as warehouses, factories and depots. While forklifts are undoubtedly useful and even essential in many workplaces, they also cause more accidents at work than cars and HGV's combined. It is estimated that over 8,000 accidents in the UK every year involve forklift trucks, with one UK worker a day requiring hospital treatment and ten workers a year sustaining fatal injuries following a forklift truck accident. Given their size and weight, it is not surprising that injuries resulting from forklift accidents are often incredibly severe and life-altering.

Typical Causes Of Forklift Accidents

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that forklift accidents at work are most often caused by the inadequate training of drivers and a lack of supervision from employers. It seems likely however that other workplace environment factors play a central role. In a busy, cramped warehouse for example where a driver is shifting heavy loads over lengthy shifts, it is almost inevitable that an accident will occur sooner rather than later. This may be due to a loss of concentration on the part of the driver, obstructed vision caused by an excessive load, or by the actions of a co-worker. On construction sites drivers may find themselves exposed to uneven terrain and unforeseen obstacles such as potholes. If the forklift is carrying a substantial load at the time, an accident is the likely result. Forklift accidents also commonly occur when the truck is poorly loaded or inadequately maintained. Given the weight of both the vehicle and its load, even the smallest discrepancies in these areas can have serious consequences.

Forklift Accident Injuries

Roughly two thirds of forklift accidents result in injuries to persons other than the driver of the vehicle. Co-workers face a constant threat when working in close vicinity to a forklift, especially in enclosed spaces. The Fork Lift Truck Association however reports that pedestrians are most at risk from the use of forklift trucks in the workplace. Forklifts can cause injuries in a variety of ways. They may overturn or shed their cargo, especially when they have been overloaded, potentially crushing bystanders and causing head injuries. A person may also become trapped between a forklift truck and a wall or other piece of machinery, again potentially causing serious crush injuries and multiple fractures. Trucks may collide with objects such as scaffolding and shelving in the workplace, causing platforms to topple or heavy items to fall onto workers below. Otherwise workers and pedestrians may be run over by forklifts or struck by the vehicle's forks.

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Forklift Accident Compensation Claims

Employers have a duty to ensure that drivers hold a license to drive a forklift truck, and that they are in a fit state to do so at the start of a shift. They must also provide a safe working environment, and this includes keeping floors and terrain free from obstructions and obstacles which may cause an accident. Forklifts should be subject to regular inspections and only used for appropriate tasks. Employers must also ensure that forklifts are operated in a safe manner, with risks to co-workers being reduced by the provision of florescent jackets and steel capped boots for example. Forklifts should also be kept separate from the public wherever possible, normally using protective pedestrian barriers and prescribed driving routes.

Bartletts Solicitors are specialists in forklift accident and injury compensation claims. We operate on a no win no fee basis meaning if you win your case your employer's insurance company will pay all of your legal fees, and if you lose you will not pay a penny.