Did You Fall From a Lull? Hurt in a Forklift Accident? Call Our Lull and Forklift Accident Lawyer in Staten Island

Lulls and forklifts are commonly used in warehouses, construction, and other places of business as a means of moving materials or loading goods. Unfortunately, while they can be very useful, they also can be dangerous used improperly or under unsafe conditions. This is particularly true when construction foreman and contractors require workers to use a lull or forklift inappropriately. This includes climbing on the device or standing on a flat board on the lift to work from an elevated height, instead of using scaffolding. As a result, lull and forklift accidents happen all too often, leaving victims seriously injured or with fatal injuries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that during the six-year period of analyzing data, more than 7,000 individuals suffered nonfatal injuries related to forklift accidents, while 614 individuals suffered fatal injuries. If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a similar type of accident, call our lull and forklift accident lawyer in Staten Island for help.

Here at the O’Connor Law Firm, we understand how devastating and preventable injuries can be from lull and forklift accidents. We are ready and willing to help you or your loved one recover compensation if you suffered a forklift accident injury in the workplace. Whether you are in a factory or on a construction site, we can help victims and their families recover compensation for personal injuries caused by a lull or forklift accident in Staten Island, or anywhere else in New York City.

Did You Fall From a Lull or Forklift? Call Us Now – Workers Should Not Be Told to Use a Lull or Forklift From a Height

Although there are many ways that a lull or forklift accident could happen, there is one that should never happen. And that’s a fall from a height.

General contractors will often require subcontractors to use a lull or a forklift inappropriately to work from an elevated height. That’s because a lull or forklift have prongs. Contractors will put plywood or other boards on those prongs and ask workers to stand on the board. Then a contractor or another operator can move the lull and forklift around, raise or lower the prongs, and therefore allow the workers standing on the makeshift platform to do work at an elevated height.

However, this is NOT the intended use of a lull or forklift and courts have found vehicles used in this type of manner to be negligent. Construction workers who fall from a lull or forklift that is being used in this manner will likely have a strong Labor Law case. This is particularly true when these vehicles are used on a new construction site or outside on the ground where it is uneven. That’s because the prongs on lulls and forklifts are not supposed to be lifted up on uneven ground at all. Thus, when a worker is being told to stand on a lull which is lifted on uneven ground, the risks are just magnified significantly. If you were injured in a lull or forklift accident when being lifted up to a height, call our experienced construction accident lawyer in Staten Island for help with your case today.

Other Causes of Lull and Forklift Accident Injuries

There are many different contributing factors that can cause lull and forklift accidents in the workplace. Our forklift accident lawyer in Staten Island understands that many of these contributing factors are avoidable, meaning that most of the time forklift accidents can be avoided if proper safety measures are taken. Some of the most common causes of forklift accident injuries include the following:

• Improperly loaded materials, leading to forklift rollovers
• Uneven weight distribution of loaded materials, leading to a forklift rollover
• Driving too fast on a forklift, leading to a forklift accident
• Being hit by or run over by a forklift leading to serious injuries
• Improper turns
• Inattention of the operator
• Inadequate maintenance of a forklift
• Hazard warnings that are inadequate
• Inadequate training of forklift operators
• Excessive loads
• Objects falling from loads
• Operators falling out of the forklift
• Manufacturer defects
• Lifting another working using the forklift, and
• Other causes and contributing factors of forklift accidents in Staten Island or elsewhere in New York City.

While user error contributes to a vast amount of forklift accidents, this does not mean that you as the forklift operator are solely liable. Further investigation may show that you received inadequate training or that you were not properly supervised while operating a forklift. While your company may try to place the blame on you for your injuries, our Staten Island forklift accident lawyers understand that this is far from the truth and will extensively investigate your case to determine if any other individual or entity played a part in your forklift accident.

Injuries Caused by Lull or Forklift Accidents in Staten Island

There are many different injuries that victims can sustain in forklift accidents. Some of the most common injuries caused by forklift accidents in Staten Island include the following:

• Internal organ damage
• Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries or other types of head injuries
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Loss of limb or amputation
• Broken bones or fractures
• Wrongful death, and
• Other injuries caused by forklift accidents.

Damages and Compensation for Forklift Accident-Related Injuries

If you or your loved one was seriously hurt or killed in a forklift accident, you may be eligible for damages. Damages are typically awarded in the form of compensation. Some of the most common damages for forklift accident-related injuries include the following:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Lost future earnings
• Physical rehabilitation
• Home or vehicle modifications
• Loss of consortium
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Medical bills, past, present and future
• Impaired quality of life
• Funeral and burial expenses, if injuries resulted in death
• Other damages for forklift accident-related injuries in Staten Island.

Contact Our Experienced Lull and Forklift Accident Lawyer in Staten Island Today

If you or your loved one was injured or wrongfully killed in a forklift accident, you should call our experienced forklift accident lawyer in Staten Island for help today. Our experienced legal team will thoroughly investigate your case, determine the cause of your accident, and determine what compensation may be available to you given the extent of your injuries and percentage of liability that you may have contributed to (if any).

To learn more about your rights and how we can help protect them, contact the O’Connor Law Firm. We handle cases throughout New York City and Long Island, particularly Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, and in surrounding areas. To learn more about your rights to compensation, contact our experienced personal injury law firm today by dialing (718) 948-3500 or by sending us an email through our “Contact Us” box available here.