Washington DC Forklift Injury Lawyer

The Occupational Safety and Health Association estimates that about 100,000 accidents occur each year that involve people operating or working around forklifts, and about a third of those incidents cause serious injury to at least one person involved. Like most other workers in the District of Columbia, employees who get hurt on the job in a forklift accident can generally seek restitution for medical expenses and certain wage losses through their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance.

However, there are numerous requirements that injured workers must fulfill in order for their workers’ comp claim to have a positive outcome and proceeding with a claim without a knowledgeable workers’ comp attorney’s assistance can dramatically reduce your odds of achieving that. By retaining a knowledgeable Washington, DC forklift injury lawyer, you could more effectively pursue the compensation you need and, if necessary, appeal a rejection of your claim by your employer or their insurer.

Causes and Effects of Forklift Accidents

Even when operated safely by trained personnel, forklifts can still present a substantial risk of injury to both the driver and everyone in the vicinity, especially if a mechanical fault occurs during operation. Thousands of workplace injuries each year stem from forklift brake failures, jack malfunctions, electrical shorts, and various other issues born of poor maintenance or repair work.

Of course, reckless and careless forklift operation presents a much greater risk of harm to everyone nearby, whether it stems from a lack of proper supervision or training, unreasonable work quotas that push operators to drive faster than safe speeds, or even intoxication from drugs or alcohol. Even the layout of a warehouse or factory floor can contribute to causing forklift accidents—for example, overcrowded or narrow aisles could lead to a forklift driver bumping into a shelving unit or causing crushing injuries to workers in the area.

Given the size and weight of these machines, forklift accidents unfortunately tend to cause especially severe physical injuries, including soft tissue damage, broken bones, and possibly permanent disability caused by brain and/or spine trauma. Regardless of how serious a work-related injury is, though, a Washington, DC forklift accident attorney could help pursue maximum restitution through a workers’ compensation claim.

Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim for a Forklift Injury

Anyone who gets hurt on the job and is covered by workers’ comp insurance should be eligible for various benefits, including compensation for necessary medical expenses, up to two-thirds of wages missed during recovery, and potentially long-term disability benefits. To have any chance of receiving these benefits, though, a person hurt in a forklift accident must notify their employer within 30 days of the incident’s occurrence by completing and submitting Form OWC-7.

They must then fill out Form OWC-7A and submit copies of both aforementioned forms to their employer and the D.C. Officer of Workers’ Compensation within one year. A forklift injury lawyer in Washington, DC could go into more detail about required documentation—as well as what to do about potential claim denials—during a confidential consultation.

A Washington, DC Forklift Injury Attorney Could Help

Getting hurt while working through any means can disrupt every aspect of your personal and professional life. Unfortunately, accidents involving forklifts tend to cause particularly severe and long-lasting repercussions, which can make achieving maximum recovery through an ensuing workers’ compensation claim an uncommonly challenging endeavor.

If you were injured due to any kind of forklift accident on the job, you have help available from an experienced and compassionate Washington, DC forklift injury lawyer. Learn more by calling today.