Front-banner

Forklift Accident Lawyers in Ohio

Home /  Personal Injury /  Construction Accident Lawyer in Ohio /  Forklift Accident Lawyers in Ohio

Helping Me, That's HNB

CASES WE TAKE  
WHY HNB? 
MEET OUR LAWYERS 
GET HELP NOW 

Do You Need Financial Support After a Forklift Injury?

People use forklifts in multiple kinds of businesses. They’re valuable tools, but also hazardous.

If you were hurt with or around a forklift, you have options to secure financial compensation for this disruption to your life.

Forklifts require special training to operate and an understanding of how to balance heavy loads. Much can go wrong. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found more than 7,500 injuries involving forklifts happen every year, costing injured people on average 18 days of work.

As a hub for manufacturing and transport, Ohio has its share of forklift accidents.

In the fall of 2024, a forklift on a Cincinnati street flipped over and killed its driver. In Trumbull County, a woman died after being pinned between a forklift and a semi-truck at a worksite. Another man died in a similar forklift accident in Pike County.

When you’ve been injured in a forklift accident, you suffer physical pain. But that’s just the beginning. Maybe you find you can’t work while your medical expenses pile up. Maybe you’re facing long-term impairments.

There is hope.

When you’re hurt on the job, Ohio has a workers’ compensation system that requires most employers to pay into it. In return, it provides medical coverage and lost wages to injured workers.

But the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC), which administers the program, sometimes resists providing all the benefits you’re entitled to receive.

Likewise, if the forklift was defective, or the accident was caused by someone working for another company, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim against the manufacturer or contractor.

Knowing your rights is at the heart of what the Ohio warehouse accident, industrial accident and construction accident lawyers  do at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal (HNB).

For more than 40 years, we’ve helped thousands hardworking Ohioans navigate setbacks like forklift accidents. We can help you negotiate with the BWC or seek compensation for someone’s carelessness on a job site.

Let us help you put your forklift accident behind you so you can move forward. We want you to say, “Helping me, that’s HNB.”

Talk to HNB  Talk to HNB 

GET HNB TO HELP YOU

    Common Causes of Forklift Injuries

    Forklifts are everywhere in Ohio. You can find them in warehouses, distribution centers, loading docks and construction sites. They’re on city streets, unloading tractor-trailers or moving large loads from one place to another.

    Forklifts support heavy loads on their front wheels and use their back wheels to propel them. Without proper training, drivers can struggle to maneuver them through tight spaces or make sudden stops.

    Mistakes mean injuries.

    Injuries or even fatalities can happen when:

    • A forklift tips over. Driving on uneven ground or up steep inclines are especially dangerous. 
    • A forklift pins someone against another large object.
    • A forklift drops its load accidentally or in the wrong spot. 
    • A forklift malfunctions, putting the driver and everyone around them in danger. 

    A lot of work goes into understanding what caused a forklift accident and who’s at fault. Was the driver properly trained? Did they follow all the safety protocols? Was the forklift functioning properly? Was the operator using it as intended?

    Answering these questions and holding those responsible to account are what the experienced forklift accident attorneys at HNB Law know how to do.

    We’ve won more than $500,000,000.00 in benefits, awards and settlements for our injury clients.

    We can look at your case and help you make the best decision to get the compensation you deserve—free of charge.

    Get My Free Case Review 

    Know Your Options When Injured in a Forklift Accident

    When you’ve been hurt on the job by a forklift, you typically have two avenues you can pursue to get the financial relief you need to recover.

    WORKERS’ COMPENSATION FOR FORKLIFT ACCIDENTS

    Under workers’ comp, workers don’t have to prove their employer acted negligently to collect benefits.

    But there are limits. For example, you can’t collect damages for pain and suffering or to punish your employer with the goal of preventing similar accidents in the future.

    Workers can receive additional benefits if they prove their employer recklessly ignored specific workplace safety requirements.

    And you could pursue a claim if your employer acted deliberately to injure you. Proving this is hard and requires extensive details about the accident, such as any evidence that your employer removed safety equipment or commanded you to operate the forklift in unsafe conditions.

    PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS FOR FORKLIFT ACCIDENTS

    Besides workers’ compensation, there are forklift accident cases where you can pursue a personal injury claim. These require the involvement of a third party other than your employer or a fellow employee of the same company.

    If a forklift malfunctioned, you could file a personal injury claim against the manufacturer for providing faulty equipment.

    If the driver is at fault and doesn’t work for your company, you can sue them as an individual or the company they work for.

    You could also have a personal injury claim if you were a bystander, not employed by anyone working at the scene, and an out-of-control forklift injured you.

    These cases can be tricky. Ohio personal injury law recognizes a “comparative negligence,” meaning any case will take your actions into account. If you were partially responsible for the accident, any award may be reduced.

    An experienced forklift accident lawyer can help you sort through your case and get you what you’re owed so you can get your life back to normal.

    At HNB, we pride ourselves on helping clients improve their lives in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and the entire state of Ohio.

    Call HNB Today  Call HNB Today