Each year, approximately 75-95 people die and thousands are injured in industrial truck accidents in the United States, with the most common type being rollover forklift accidents. In addition, common industrial truck accidents include pedestrian accidents, dock separation accidents, collisions with vehicles, collisions with stationary objects, or simply falling off a dock, platform, or gangway. However, a survey of recent industrial truck accidents reported to OSHA demonstrates that not all forklift accidents fall into the common categories. Below are some of the least common ways people are killed in forklift accidents.
Electrocution on an Aerial Lift
On February 14th, 2024, a field service technician from United Rentals, Inc., an equipment rental company, was electrocuted while servicing an aerial lift at a lessee’s location. The aerial lift was found beneath overhead powerlines with the technician slumped over in the boom. The lessee allegedly instructed the operator to move the aerial lift out to another location before working on the lift. At first glance, this may appear to be operator error—especially with the operator not here to defend himself. However, our electrocution injury lawyers once handled a similar electrocution injury case involving a lift contacting a powerline that resulted in an 11.9 million dollar settlement. A detailed investigation should be conducted in a case of this nature.
Drowning on a Utility Vehicle
On February 9th, 2024, a man drowned while operating an ATV. According to the OSHA summary, a man who worked for marine cargo was driving around the property in the utility vehicle and was later found floating in the water near his vehicle. He apparently drove off the dock. ATV accidents are sadly all too common and often the result of driver inattention. But again, a detailed investigation by a lawyer who handles ATV accidents is wise to determine whether the vehicle was struck and pushed or the fatality was otherwise the result of someone else’s negligence.
Drowning in a Pond of Liquid Manure
On March 30, 2021, a man drowned in a pond of manure while operating a Mensch Model V4500 Vacuum Truck. The man was an employee of Shelton Land and Cattle, Ltd. He was in the process of dumping the liquid manure into a 12-foot concrete pit when the truck hopped the curb and drove into the pit. I cannot imagine a worse way to die. The question that needs to be answered in a case like this is whether it happened from a driver’s mistake or whether there was some sort of vehicle defect causing the brakes to fail. A detailed cleaning and investigation will be required to make the call in this case.
Final Thoughts on Industrial Truck Accidents
Working on job sites with industrial trucks is dangerous. Serious and fatal accidents happen all too often. If you are working on a job site and your employer asks you to operate a machine you are unfamiliar with, demand they provide you the proper training. Employers are often shielded from their own negligence by simply offering worker’s compensation. You cannot rely on them to look out for your welfare. If you or a loved one are injured and there is no worker’s compensation, talk to Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., about filing a worker’s compensation third-party claim. Call us for a free consultation today.
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