Buffalo, New York Pallet Jack Injuries

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Committed to Protecting the Rights of Pallet Jack Accident Forklift Injury Victims Across the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Region. If You or a Loved One Has Been Hurt by a Heavy Equipment in a Supermarket, Grocery Store, or Big-Box Store, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Explore Your Best Options for Effective Legal Relief.

Big-box stores have more going on behind the scenes than most customers ever realize.

Between regular shipments and restocking, keeping shelves full at a store like Wegmans, Target, or the Home Depot can take a lot of effort. Much of the hard work required to keep inventory current takes place behind the scenes, in backrooms and warehouses places that most visitors will never see and have little reason to visit.

But at certain times of the day, heavy equipment can make an unexpected appearance, often accompanied by loud noise and closed-off aisles. Used appropriately and with the right safety measures in place, machines like pallet jacks and forklifts can make employees’ lives easier without posing any particular hazard to guests.

However, accidents can still happen, and they happen far more often than most people realize.

All it takes is a single mistake or a minor oversight, maybe in training, during an operation, or through a botched attempt at in-house maintenance, for somebody to get hurt. These accidents can seem harmless at first glance, but few people can shrug off the impact of a machine built to carry thousands of pounds. For victims, walking away with a broken toe, painful as it may be, is sometimes the best possible outcome.

Although you cannot take back an accident, you may not have to pay the price for a big company’s expensive mistake. If you or a loved one has been hurt by a pallet jack, forklift, or other piece of heavy-duty corporate equipment, you could be entitled to significant compensation for your injuries. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping Buffalo families assert their rights to a fair recovery. We could help you, too, but you have to act fast. Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 716-839-3939 to speak to a pallet jack accident lawyer and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Pallet jacks carry large quantities of product in a single trip.

Left unattended, an empty jack or unloaded pallet could pose a physical hazard. If it is low to the ground, customers could trip and lose their balance, potentially falling and hurting themselves.

Most slips, trips, and falls do not result in significant injuries, but certain factors ranging from your age to the angle of the fall and the presence of any external hazards could lead to more serious outcomes. In some cases, slip-and-fall accidents can result in life-altering injuries.

Physical collisions could occur if the operator is:

1. Distracted;
2. Improperly trained; and
3. Not using the right safety equipment.

Pallet jacks and forklifts can cause excruciating injuries, even when stationary or moving at low speeds. Aside from physical trauma sustained on impact, customers also risk getting their hands, legs, feet, and toes stuck in moving parts or trapped underneath heavy loads. This can lead to serious crushing injuries, some of which require months of intensive care to overcome.

Pallet jack loads are often restrained using some combination of straps, cellophane wrap, and strategic placement. However, a pallet or forklift could prove dangerous if its load is not properly secured; or, conversely, if the machine itself is loaded to a weight exceeding manufacturer specifications. This can lead to loads becoming unsecured and falling directly onto customers.

Property owners have a legal duty to ensure that any publicly accessible spaces within the store are free from unreasonable and unexpected hazards. If and when companies fail to do their due diligence, they could be held liable for the cost of any resulting injury or injuries.

While being injured by a pallet jack or forklift does not automatically entitle you to compensation, you may be able to sue if:

• You were lawfully present on the premises; in other words, you were not trespassing and did not enter a warehouse, loading dock, or other area explicitly off-limits to visitors;
• The owner of the property was negligent. In other words, they knew that the use of a pallet jack in a particular space or under certain circumstances could pose a risk to the public but failed to mitigate the hazard or issue a warning; and
• The property owner’s negligence was the direct cause of your injury.

In most cases, the owner of the store rather than an individual employee is liable for premises-related accidents. However, in some cases, you may be able to take action against a specific worker, particularly if they were reckless or otherwise negligent with respect to proper safety protocol.

Courts, insurance companies, and personal injury lawyers use the term “damages” to describe the compensation available for different types of accident-related loss.

Your damages are unique to your case, but they could include financial relief for your:

1. Hospital bills;
2. Costs of anticipated or long-term care;
3. Physical rehabilitation;
4. Mental health counseling;
5. Lost income from work;
6. Diminished earning potential;
7. Physical pain and suffering;
8. Emotional pain and suffering;
9. Loss of enjoyment; and
10. Disfigurement.

Unlike many states, New York does not cap damages in most premises liability lawsuits. This means that you could receive as much money as you need to see you through recovery. However, while state law may not cap compensation, it does set strict statutes of limitation applicable to all injury claims. If you wait too long, the statute of limitations could lapse, and once it does, you might not be able to sue, even if you would have otherwise had an open-and-close case.

Additionally, waiting too long to take action can carry another risk: that of degraded or destroyed evidence. Most companies, for instance, only hold on to security camera footage for so long; if you do not act immediately, key evidence could go missing sooner than you expect.

Do not take risks with your right to a fair recovery: call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 716-839-3939 to speak to a pallet jack injury lawyer in Buffalo and find out how much your case could be worth.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!