Long Island Forklift Accident Lawyer

Many Long Island, New York, workers use forklifts to help them do the heavy lifting they cannot physically do on their own. But while they handle transport and raise and lower items, workers must handle this heavy machinery with care. Otherwise, severe injuries and deaths could result. Unfortunately, forklift accidents happen, even when workers are careful, and when they do, the outcome can be devastating.

If you suffered injuries in a forklift accident in the Long Island area, a lawyer with Shulman & Hill can help you seek compensation for the costs of your work-related damages. Our forklift accident attorneys in Long Island can protect your rights and interests as we learn more about your workplace accident, its cause, your injuries, and other important details. Get in touch online or at 516.613.3196 for a free case consultation with our team.

Forklifts Accidents Injure Thousands of People Each Year

Forklifts are dangerous for various reasons, so everyone around one of these machines must be careful. In 2020, nearly 80 people died, and 7,290 suffered nonfatal injuries in forklift accidents, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Injured victims took at least 17 median days away from work to tend to these injuries, five days more than injured people take for all work injury events or exposures.

To further show how dangerous forklift accidents are, 614 workers died in accidents involving the vehicles between 2011 and 2017, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. Additionally, more than 7,000 people took time off to recover from forklift injuries they suffered at work.

Weight, Speed of Forklift Trucks Make Them Dangerous

Forklifts, which go by several names, including powered industrial trucks, lift trucks, and forklift trucks, are heavy pieces of machinery that weigh several thousands of pounds and can reach speeds of nearly 20 miles per hour (mph). Workers use the machines to carry, lift, and lower materials, placing them onto other surfaces or in other areas. The operator can either ride on the forklift or control them remotely.

The sheer weight of these machines is a danger. A forklift can strike and even crush people when coming into contact with them. Sometimes, the forklift’s weight isn’t distributed evenly, making it hard to maneuver, especially if the operator wants to make a turn or stop it. If these maneuvers aren’t done properly, the forklift can tip over.

Common Forklift Accidents in Long Island

Forklift accidents can happen in many ways, including when:

• Forklift operators strike other workers in the area because they did not see them or were distracted.
• Forklift operators go too fast or fail to brake, crashing into other workers or vehicles.
• Forklift operators fall from the vehicles while trying to get on them or off them.
• Falling or sliding loads strike workers.
• Workers fail to conduct regular forklift maintenance.
• Companies fail to train workers on how to use forklifts properly.
• Workers fail to wear protective gear or follow safety rules and regulations.
• Workers overload the forklift, making it hard to control and keep from rolling over.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also writes that workers can suffer injuries when lift trucks drive off the loading dock or fall between loading docks and unsecured trailers. The machinery can also fall while on raised pallets and tines, it says.

Common Forklift Accident Injuries in Long Island

Forklift operators should receive training so that they know how to operate the vehicles safely. If they don’t, life-threatening injuries may occur, such as:

• Head and brain injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Internal organ injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Back injuries
• Bone fractures, crushed bones
• Neck and shoulder injuries
• Eye, face, and dental injuries
• Muscle injuries, joint injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Limb loss
• Nerve damage
• Cuts, scrapes, bruises
• Burns and scarring

How Our Forklift Accidents Attorney in Long Island, N.Y., Can Help Your Case

We understand how challenging it is to suffer injuries in a work-related accident and then seek compensation for it. Many find it hard to try to do both, which is why some turn to us and allow our injury team to handle their cases. If your forklift accident happened at work, you can seek workers’ compensation benefits that would cover your medical treatment costs and lost income. We can also help you file a personal injury lawsuit if a third party caused your Long Island forklift work accident.

We Handle Workers’ Compensation Cases and Personal Injury Cases

Our New York-based legal team helps clients with their workers’ compensation benefits claims and injury lawsuits, meaning they can work with one firm that understands their recovery needs. Our forklift accident lawyer in Long Island, NY, can explain the options you have for securing compensation from workers’ compensation and a case involving a third party.

We can help you file your workers’ compensation claim and challenge any denials that could arise, such as if your employer or employer’s insurer says:

• Your injury isn’t work-related or that it happened at another place outside of work.
• You did not report your injury by the deadline.
• Your claim did not meet the filing deadline.
• Your claim is false or misleading.

We can also help you seek awards from a third party for losses other than your medical expenses and lost income, which is what workers’ compensation typically covers. Third parties include:

• General contractors
• Subcontractors
• Equipment manufacturers
• Equipment repair shops
• Property owners
• Property managers
• Delivery companies
• Product designers, manufacturers

When we review your accident, we identify other parties you could request compensation from. Our legal team takes care of all aspects for you, freeing up your time to focus on your recovery.

Shulman & Hill Takes New Yorkers’ Recovery Seriously

Shulman & Hill has helped thousands of clients in New York recover more than $300 million in compensation. We are proud of our record of helping others receive compensation that helps them meet their needs. Results vary according to each case, so we cannot guarantee the same results for every case we handle. However, what we can do is look at all your injuries, medical expenses, future medical and rehabilitation care, future income needs, pain and suffering, and other losses, and seek fair compensation for you.

Recoverable Long Island Forklift Accident Damages

Injuries from forklift accidents can range from minor to severe, and sometimes they are fatal. Some of the losses from these injuries last a long time or a lifetime, and that may not be immediately known until some time passes. In general, the losses you incur generally fall into two categories–economic (financial) and non-economic (non-financial).

Typical recoverable economic damages in a forklift worksite accident in Long Island are:

• Medical expenses (e.g., emergency room care, hospital care, surgeries, imaging tests, medications)
• Rehabilitation expenses (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy)
• Therapy, mental health counseling costs
• Lost income, work benefits
• Property damage or property loss

You could pursue non-economic damages from a forklift accident, such as:

• Physical and mental pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Permanent disability
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Loss of life enjoyment
• Loss of companionship

Wrongful Death Damages After a Long Island Forklift Accident

Sadly, some people don’t survive injuries from a forklift accident. If your loved one suffered fatal injuries in an accident of this kind, please accept our sincere condolences. We are here for you and your family and can help you file a wrongful death action.

If you recover damages with a wrongful death lawsuit, the other party can help you cover your loved one’s final medical bills, pay for funeral arrangements, and compensate you for the decedent’s income and other losses.

We Can Build Your Case for Damages and Seek Them From the Liable Party

Our Long Island forklift accident attorney can determine if you can recover other damages that you don’t see listed here. After assessing your losses, we can build your compensation case and present it to the liable party’s insurer. We can manage all communications with the insurer and other involved parties, ensuring your case remains on track.

Our Long Island injury attorney can investigate your accident, review case-supporting evidence, including incident reports, witness testimony, and medical records, and identify who’s responsible for your accident. If a third party caused your injuries, we must prove how their negligence harmed you. We take on these tasks and represent you at all times. You can rely on us to keep you updated on all laws and case developments.

New York’s Statute of Limitations Case Deadlines for Forklift Accident Cases

The sooner you reach out to us about your case, the sooner we can work on your case. Typically, New York allows a three-year statute of limitations for most personal injury cases, as CPLR § 214 outlines. The general deadline is two years if you file a wrongful death lawsuit, per EPTL § 5-4.1. Exceptions may shorten or lengthen your case’s deadline. We can talk with you about the statute of limitations in more detail when we meet with you.

Call Shulman & Hill About Your Long Island Forklift Accident Case – We Can Help

Forklift injuries are serious, and they can change the course of your life. Our legal team is serious about our clients’ recovery. Shulman & Hill has helped many others seek financial recovery for the injuries and losses they suffered, and we want to help you. We can manage your Long Island forklift accident for you while you focus on getting better.

Whether you want help with a workers’ compensation claim or an injury case, you can have it all here with us in one place. If you hire our Long Island forklift accident lawyer to represent you, you pay no upfront fees. We only receive our fees if you win your case. Call us today at 516.613.3196 to learn more about your next steps during a free consultation.