Unsafe Use of Forklift Leads to Crushed Leg

Case Overview

This case involves a truck driver that was injured by a forklift. Upon making a delivery at a warehouse, the forklift operator began to unload the content of the trucker’s tractor trailer. The contents were being unloaded from the truck’s tractor trailer in an unsafe manner and fell off of the forklift, crushing the truck driver’s leg as he stood next to his trailer. He has since required numerous surgeries and may never regain full function in his leg.

Questions to the Maritime expert and their responses

What type of experience do you have with forklifts and forklift safety?

As an expert in mechanics, I have over 40 years of experience in the field. I work as a consultant at an organization that trains, consults, and provides legal expertise in manners of compliance and regulatory oversight for automobiles and all types of construction and commercial vehicles with add on equipment, systems, and attachments. My experiences, ranging from hands-on work to my current role as a consultant, provide me with an in-depth knowledge of the risks associated with forklifts, along with how to operate the machine safely.

Are there specific precautions that must be taken to ensure the safe unloading of a tractor trailer by forklift operators?

This sort of an accident should never happen - if appropriate safety measures had been taken into consideration, this man wouldn't have to deal with leg injuries - and he'd still be driving his rig.

About the expert

This expert has been working in the field of mechanics for almost 40 years. He has worked his way up to consultant, after being hands-on for many years. His consulting company is an organization created to address an industry need for professional automotive, commercial and heavy vehicle services such as training, consulting and legal expertise encompassing all aspects of compliance with Federal, state and local codes, requirements, laws and recommendations of oversight organization. The scope of equipment for which these services are offered include all types of cars, small, medium and large busses trucks and trailers, all types of construction and commercial vehicles and all types of add on equipment, systems and attachments.