Forklift Accidents

Forklifts Cause Injuries and Death

Hundreds of people in the U.S. are injured or killed by forklift accidents. “In 2023, 67 workers died in incidents involving forklifts, order pickers, or platform trucks,” says the National Safety Council (NSC). ⁽¹⁾

From 2022 to 2023, there were 1,190 severe injuries related to forklifts, reports the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). ⁽²⁾ “The top three industry sectors with forklift-related SIRs [serious injury reports] were the manufacturing (360, 33%), transportation and warehousing (285, 26%), and the wholesale trade (153, 14%) sectors,” says OSHA. ⁽³⁾

In the U.S., “forklift pedestrian accidents accounted for 28% of all forklift-related incidents,” according to business data platform Gitnux. And, “In warehouses, forklift pedestrian collisions happen every 3 minutes worldwide.” ⁽⁴⁾

These numbers are jarring since forklifts are frequently employed at work sites throughout densely populated areas with high traffic volumes, like New York City (NYC).

New York City Forklift Accidents

Forklifts are frequently used in stores, lumber yards, garden centers, and at construction sites. “The construction fatality rate very slightly increased in New York City and increased in New York State. New York City’s rate changed from 11.5 per 100,000 in 2022 to 11.6 per 100,000 in 2023. New York State’s rate also increased from 9.6 per 100,000 in 2022 to 10.4 per 100,000 in 2023, an 8.3% increase,” according to the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). ⁽⁵⁾

Here are a few examples of dangerous forklift incidents in New York:

In the fall of 2025, a man was “crushed between a tractor trailer and a lull forklift while he was unloading pallets of building material,” reports one Long Island, N.Y. news site. ⁽⁶⁾

In Yonkers, N.Y. that same month, a forklift mishap was the suspected cause of a beauty products warehouse fire and chemical leak. “Firefighters believe a forklift damaged a container while moving products around the tightly packed space, and the container leaked a chemical of some sort,” says U.S. News. Nearby residents were warned to stay indoors and people with “pre-existing medical problems were escorted out of the area.” ⁽⁷⁾

A man was killed in September 2025 in Erie County, N.Y. after becoming pinned under a forklift. News reports of the incident said, “a 44-year-old man was driving a forklift near a loading dock when it went off the edge. falling onto the victim and killing him instantly.” ⁽⁸⁾

These incidents demonstrate a variety of types of forklift hazards and some of the traumatic injuries resulting from them.

Types of Forklift Accidents

There were 143 fatal forklift incidents in 2021-2022, reports the NSC. Occupations with the highest number of incidents were transportation and materials moving. ^{(9) (10)}

Fatalities by type of incident included: ⁽¹¹⁾

• Transportation incidents — 76
• Nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles — 46
• Nonroadway noncollision incidents — 12
• Contact with objects and equipment — 20

As the N.Y. accidents examples indicate, victims may be crushed, pinned, or compressed by forklifts. This often happens when there are forklift tipovers or rollovers.

These types of accidents can have many causes.

Causes of Forklift Accidents

The numerous and varied causes of workplace forklift accidents include: ⁽¹²⁾

• Dangerous workplaces. Poor design of a workplace can lead to accidents and injuries. Examples of poor workplace design include narrow aisles, congested areas, lack of designated pedestrian lanes, and chaotic traffic flow.
• Improper operation. Speeding can lead to accidents, especially while turning or backing up. So can incorrect load handling. Failure to maintain adequate distance from pedestrians can lead to injuries or deaths.
• Lack of operator training. Mistakes and panicking in dangerous moments can present difficulties for untrained operators or workers who were not trained properly.
• Mechanical failures. Malfunction of the brakes or steering, and hydraulic leaks can cause serious accidents. Failure to make pre-shift inspections and poor maintenance can also lead to injuries.

Your Legal Options

If you have been involved in a serious forklift accident you should consider your legal options.

Forklift accidents typically fall under negligence. Negligence is a “failure to behave with the level of care that a reasonable person would have exercised under the same circumstances.” ⁽¹³⁾

Negligence and the responsibility for injuries can apply to several different parties in forklift accident cases:

• Injuries may be caused by the owner of the forklift if it has not been properly maintained.
• Injuries may happen if the forklift operator fails to operate the vehicle responsibly.
• Injuries may be the fault of the manufacturer if the forklift wasn’t properly constructed.

To prove negligence you must demonstrate to the court the other party owed you a “duty of care” and the party breached their duty — this caused the accident and your injuries, and you suffered losses as a result. ⁽¹⁴⁾

An attorney can help you examine your legal options, guide you through the legal process, negotiate a settlement, or present your case in court.

Since these types of cases can be complicated, you should seek legal advice from an experienced and reputable attorney as soon as possible.

How W&L Can Help

Weitz & Luxenberg is a law firm with a dedicated personal injury team. For nearly 40 years now we have successfully represented thousands of clients in negligence cases.

• W&L won a $2.96 million verdict for our client who was permanently injured in a forklift workplace incident. The client’s coworker negligently drove a hi-lo into a conveyor belt pit. The hi-lo then turned over and its fork amputated our client’s leg.

Here are just two examples of recent personal injury winning cases:

• W&L secured a $4 million settlement for a painter who fell 20 feet to the street from a scaffold. The painter stepped through a hole in the elevated platform he was standing on, suffering serious spinal injuries. His employer had violated New York State Labor Law Section 240(1). 
• W&L recovered a $950,000 settlement for a construction worker knocked off a lift truck. It was bumped by a passing motor vehicle. The construction worker fell eight feet. He ended up with a rotator cuff tear that required surgery.

Updated June 2026