Archive for the 'Fork lift trucks' Category

Published in Truckstop News November 2009.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury Compensation firm Hinchliffes Solicitors will consider more “READERS’ SUCCESSFUL ACCIDENT CLAIMS”.

Continuing his review of successfully completed accident injury claims, Steven Hinchliffe looks at various situations experienced by readers of Truckstop News that ultimately lead to an award of personal injury compensation.

All of the accident victims mentioned in this series of articles are clients of my firm, Hinchliffes Solicitors.  They have kindly given their permission for the disclosure of their details, and in particular of their real life experiences of incidents resulting in personal injury claims, and the steps taken to make a successful accident compensation claim.  All of these clients contacted my firm after seeing our details in Truckstop News - and some of the names referred to may be familiar to you.

Published in Truckstop News October 2009.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury Compensation firm Hinchliffes Solicitors will consider more “READERS’ SUCCESSFUL ACCIDENT CLAIMS”.

Continuing his review of successfully completed accident injury claims, Steven Hinchliffe looks at more situations experienced by readers of Truckstop News that resulted in an award of personal injury compensation.

All of the accident victims mentioned are actual clients of my firm, Hinchliffes Solicitors.  They have kindly given their permission for the disclosure of their details, and in particular of their real life experiences of incidents resulting in personal injury claims, and the steps taken to make a successful accident compensation claim.  All of these clients contacted my firm after seeing our details in Truckstop News - and readers may recognise some of the names referred to.

Hinchliffes Solicitors, a leading firm of personal injury compensation claims solicitors, issue a warning to everyone involved with Fork Lift Trucks (”FLTs”) highlighting the dangers associated with this type of equipment, particularly during the month of September.

According to statistics gathered by the Fork Lift Truck Association, September is the “deadliest” month of the year for accidents involving FLTs.  Accidents frequently occur when FLT drivers or pedestrians in warehouses are distracted, or simply assume that they have been seen by the other party.  Most of these accidents are entirely avoidable.  In respect of those that happen because of the failure of an employer to have a safe system of work in place, or because of the negligence of a colleague, the injured person may well have a strong claim for personal injury compensation against the employer (who will also be responsible for the actions of their workforce).

Some basic elements need to exist for a successful accident compensation claim to be made.  The most common types of accident claims are a road accident claim or an accident at work claim.

To succeed in an accident compensation claim, the accident must have happened because someone was at fault and the victim suffered an injury.  The other party must have been aware that their actions (or lack of action) could cause injury, and which is commonly the situation when they are either another road user or an employer.

Published in Truckstop News June 2009.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors will consider “INJURIES COMMONLY SUFFERED BY TRUCKERS IN WORK ACCIDENTS”.

This article considers the types of injuries commonly suffered by truckers every day, while at work.  Highlighting particular accident situations and their consequences may help to increase awareness of the dangers they face.

An accident can happen at any time while at work.  This may be on the road driving from one depot to another, during the loading or unloading process, or even when simply walking around a company’s premises waiting for instructions or for a vehicle to be made ready. 

It is normally necessary for an injured person wishing to claim personal injury compensation to start Court proceedings in support of their claim within three years of the date of their accident.  If they do not do so the claim will usually be lost, as it will have become statute barred because of the provisions of the Limitation Acts.

However, the Court of Appeal recently decided that when Judges are exercising their discretion whether or not to waive the three year time limit, they should not automatically regard the person or company responsible for causing the accident to be prejudiced by removing their ability to use the passage of time as a defence.

Published in Truckstop News - May 2009.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors will consider “TRAILERS - HAZARDS THAT CAN RESULT IN ACCIDENTS”.

My many years’ experience of injury compensation claims made by truckers suggests that more problems arise when delivering or collecting a load than on the roads.  It is therefore not surprising that regulations place responsibilities on both employers and employees to help reduce the risk of injury.

Employers’ basic duties in this regard include:-

•  undertaking risk assessments and planning the loading and unloading of vehicles so as to avoid or minimise the need to work at height;
•  ensuring there are well designed access points to vehicles and trailers;
•  fitting additional safety equipment if necessary, eg access ladders or non-slip surfaces;
•  providing protective equipment, eg slip resistant footwear;
•  ensuring work equipment is well maintained;
•  recognising problems with particular vehicles and responding to suggestions, eg for preventing falls from those vehicles;
•  ensuring supervisors check how people get on and off vehicles, and enforce safe systems of work.
  

Published in Truckstop News - August 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors considers the “DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FORKLIFT TRUCKS”.

The Health and Safety Executive estimates that each year there are around 8,000 forklift truck (”FLT”) accidents resulting in injury, about 10 of which are fatal.  Inadequate training appears to be a significant cause of these accidents, but other issues such as operator error, unsuitable premises, poor layout and design of the FLT operating areas, and poor maintenance are also contributory factors.

A firm has been prosecuted after a work accident in which one of its workers died.  The accident happened in January 2005 when a 60-year-old employee was crushed.

A forklift truck had been going round a corner when its driver performed an emergency stop in order to avoid hitting a staff member.  Due to the sudden braking, a steel coil situated on the forks became dislodged and fell on top of the man, pinning him to the ground.  He later died from his injuries.

As a result of this accident at work IP, a firm which is located in Uxbridge, was given a fine of £50,000 and ordered to pay £6,000 in costs at a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.  The company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations.

Insurers for employers are recommending more staff training as part of a safety campaign to help prevent transport accidents in the workplace.

Figures provided by the Health and Safety Executive indicate that one quarter of all workplace transport incidents involve forklift trucks, and it is felt that additional training could help prevent a work accident from occurring.  In the event of an accident, if injuries are sustained, this could result in claims for personal injury compensation.

In the workplace forklift trucks can be particularly dangerous and can result in accidents involving workers being struck or run over, or being hit by something that has fallen from the vehicle.  Other accidents can happen when workers themselves fall from the vehicle, or when it is overturned.