Moving Through Your Personal Injury Journey

When you are injured at work, you will usually be compensated for your injuries through a workers compensation insurance policy. However, if you are injured by a piece of equipment that was defective, such as a forklift, you might also be entitled to compensation from the company that designed the forklift.

Types of Forklift Accidents

While operating a forklift, you might become injured if the equipment tilts over. For example, if your forklift tilts over and a seatbelt you are wearing tears, you might fall out of the forklift when it tilts over and you might become injured. Also, the forklift should have an interlock system that causes the forklift to stop moving when the seatbelt tears.

Another way you might have been injured by the forklift is if you were struck by it as a bystander. If the forklift is designed in such a way that prevents the operator from seeing bystanders, the driver might hit you and cause you to suffer serious injuries.

How to Prove That You're Injured

After the accident, you will want to seek medical attention as soon as you can. Regardless of how injured you think you are, you'll need to be treated by a medical professional so you can connect your worksite accident to your injuries. 

Then, your work accident attorney will help you seek compensation for your injuries. Products are supposed to operate in the way in which they should be expected to operate. If you are able to prove that the forklift was defective, you might be able to receive compensation for your injuries.

Worksite Accident Law Vs. Workers Compensation Law

You might wonder why you shouldn't simply file a workers compensation claim. However, a workers compensation claim is limited in how it can compensate you. You are not entitled to compensation for pain and suffering. In contrast, a worksite attorney may be able to maximize your compensation from the forklift company so you can pay for all of your expenses.

One of the challenges of a worksite accident case vs. a workers compensation injury case is that you will need to prove fault to be able to receive compensation for your injuries. Workers compensation claims, on the other hand, do not take fault into consideration. Therefore, as you take legal action against the forklift company, you'll need help from a worksite accident attorney to help you gather the evidence necessary to prove the other party liable.