Forklift Accident Claims

Forklift Accident Claims

Forklift trucks are used on a regular basis in warehouses to help with the loading and unloading of large, heavy goods. Without the appropriate training, supervision or equipment, these useful vehicles can become dangerous, causing an injury to those driving them or in close proximity.

If you or a loved one have been injured by a forklift truck in a warehouse, our specialist team will assess your case and provide you with the best legal advice and representation to ensure you get the most amount of compensation you deserve.

About forklift truck accidents

Forklift truck driving is a dangerous job usually undertaken by trained and supervised individuals. However, there are some employers who do not provide the correct training or put policies in place to ensure safety, which can sometimes result in serious, or even fatal, injuries.

There are many different ways a forklift truck can cause you harm, some of the more common we have had dealing with include:

• The truck toppling over due to driving up a steep slope or over a pothole
• The load falling from the truck onto someone in the vicinity
• The truck colliding with an object, person or another vehicle
• The truck causing items placed on a high level to fall and hurt someone
• The driver suffers an injury while climbing on or off the forklift truck
• The truck being driven at speed or carelessly

We handle claims for accidents caused by all types of warehouse forklift trucks, including reach forklift trucks and stand-up forklift trucks.

Who is responsible?

To drive a forklift truck, you must receive official training and obtain a forklift truck licence. It is an employer’s responsibility to either hire people who have this qualification or ensure employees receive the relevant training to be able to drive one properly. If you are injured by an employee who has not got a forklift truck licence, then your employer will be liable for your injuries.

Likewise, if a forklift truck with a known fault is responsible for an accident, the fault will lie with the employer because it is their duty to regularly check all warehouse machinery is in good working order. Other employer responsibilities include:

• Providing personal protective equipment to forklift truck operators, including high-visibility jackets, hard hats and safety boots
• Ensuring both forklift trucks and pedestrians can easily navigate the workplace without coming to harm, including barriers and clearly marked areas
• Setting rules for forklift truck use, for example, setting a speed limit and giving way to pedestrians
• Making sure forklift truck use is appropriately supervised to ensure they are being used safely

However your employer has failed to keep you protected while working in a warehouse or other workplace, you could be entitled to compensation.

What to do when you’ve been injured

There are a number of things that can be done following an accident involving a forklift truck. The following suggestions are not be treated as comprehensive legal advice – for appropriate guidance, please get in touch with our solicitors.

• Record the incident in the Accident Report Book. If the accident is serious, it should be reported in accordance with RIDDOR (Reporting Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995)
• If possible, the forklift truck should be removed to free the injured person. In cases of impalement, this should be left to the emergency services
• Any items that have fallen off the forklift truck and caused injury should be noted down
• Details, including full name, address and contact information, of any witnesses to the accident should be recorded to corroborate with what happened
• The work first aider should provide initial medical assistance until an ambulance arrives. If a workplace does not have a first aider, this is classed as negligence on behalf of the employer

Making a claim for compensation

Like all personal injury claims, a forklift truck accident can be pursued up to three years after the accident has taken place, unless the symptoms of your injuries do not present themselves immediately. In this case, a claim can be brought forward up to three years after the knowledge that a forklift truck accident was responsible for your injuries.

Once you are aware of an accident being responsible for your injuries, you should then get in touch with an expert personal injury team, like Aequitas Legal. We will contact your employer to let them know that a claim is being brought against them, as well as ensure that they take the reasonable steps to ensure that this type of accident does not happen again.

We will build your case for compensation by investigating where liability lies, arranging for a medical specialist to take a look at your injuries to determine their true extent and looking into how your life has, and will be, altered by the damage caused by somebody else’s negligence.

Why choose Aequitas Legal?

At Aequitas Legal, we believe in both a personal and personable approach, which is why when you choose to make a claim with us, you are assigned your own personal injury solicitor to handle your case. This enables us to have a better understanding of your needs and ensures you are given the best lawyer for your case.

They will be available to answer your questions anytime you should have them and will give you regular updates on your the progress of your claim in terms that you will understand.

How we have helped others

We have helped many other workers who have been injured by forklift trucks. To read about what we have done for others in a similar position to you, please take a look at our case studies.

Start your claim today

If you or a loved one have been injured in a forklift truck accident that was caused by somebody else’s negligence, we are waiting to hear from you.

Call us for reliable, accessible and friendly advice:
0161 358 0800