Pittsburgh Heavy Machinery Accident Attorneys

Workers in numerous occupations commonly use heavy equipment and machinery on the job. These machines are designed to help workers complete complex and difficult tasks far more quickly and efficiently than if they were done manually, and they have been a major contributor to the modern society that we all enjoy.

Heavy machinery has helped automate a number of different tasks for workers in various industries, but these machines can be dangerous as well. Workers who operate them are at risk of accidents and serious injuries if something goes wrong. These risks are heightened when the machines are not maintained adequately and/or their operators are not properly trained.

At the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania law office of Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C., taking legal action against parties that have been negligent in protecting workers from heavy machinery accidents is a real, practical option that we pursue every day.

Since 1972, our law firm has successfully represented personal injury victims. Our knowledge of workplace accidents and legal options for victims is comprehensive. Our experienced heavy equipment accident attorneys are here to educate you about your options and represent you in each stage of the legal process.

We serve workers across a wide range of industries and occupations — including the construction industry, agriculture (farming) and manufacturing — who have been injured by all types of heavy machinery on the job site. These include:

• Cranes
• Bulldozers
• Backhoe loaders
• Drill presses/drilling machines
• Dump trucks
• Excavators
• Forklifts
• Front end loaders
• Harvesters
• Pavers
• Skid loaders
• Tractors

Common Injuries that Result from Heavy Machinery Accidents

There are a number of different ways that workers can get injured while using heavy machinery:

• Collisions: In a fast-paced work environment that involves heavy machinery, workers need to be trained to communicate effectively with those nearby and be aware of their surroundings. When this does not happen, there is a greater risk of collisions between two pieces of mobile machinery (e.g., two forklifts backing up at the same time), or machinery colliding into a worker who is on foot.

• Caught In-Between: Those who work with heavy equipment and machinery can get stuck in or pinned by the machine, often resulting in a crush injury.

• Falls: Falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries, and when someone falls from a large machine, their injuries can often be quite severe.

• Struck By/Struck Against: Heavy machinery can strike a worker as we talked about with collisions earlier, but workers can also get struck by heavy objects and debris that fall from raised equipment.

• Electrocutions: A large number of workplace injuries happen because of electrical accidents, and many of these accidents are the result of something going wrong with the complex wiring systems inside of heavy equipment and machinery.

• Rollovers: Heavy mobile machinery can roll over and crush workers when those on the job are not careful. This type of accident happens most often when machinery and equipment is parked on a slope and/or is improperly loaded.

Heavy machinery accidents can result in several types of injuries, which include:

• Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
• Cuts and Lacerations
• Soft Tissue Injuries
• Fractures/Broken Bones
• Amputations/Loss of Limbs
• Spinal Cord Injuries/Paralysis
• Burn Injuries
• Internal Injuries

Injuries from heavy equipment accidents often require immediate medical care, and workers may have to miss a lot of work in order to get recovered. In the worst cases, the injury could be permanent and debilitating or even fatal.

Why Heavy Machinery Accidents Occur

When heavy machinery causes industrial accidents, everyone involved looks for an explanation. One reason may be pressure from management to ignore safety regulations in order to work more quickly. If safety regulations are not enforced on the job site, and if proper training is not done, workers are put at risk.

Another common reason for heavy machinery accidents is dangerous or defective equipment. Heavy machinery may not be designed properly, may be manufactured defectively or distributed without proper warnings. If this is the case, the maker or distributor of the machinery can be held accountable.

Compensation Recovery Options for Heavy Machinery Accident Victims

When a heavy equipment accident happens while on the job, the injured worker should be able to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ comp is a no-fault system that is set up to provide benefits to workers regardless of how the accident happened (with a few exceptions).

Although you do not have to prove liability in order to recover benefits through the workers’ comp program, the claims process is far more complicated and confusing than it should be. Many unethical employers and their insurers wrongly deny claims and/or put-up unnecessary roadblocks that are designed to frustrate workers into giving up on the benefits that they deserve. This is why it is always recommended that injured employees retain strong legal representation.

With an experienced attorney by your side, your employer will not be able to take advantage of you, and you can rest easy knowing that you will receive the level of benefits that you are entitled to. Another good reason to work with a seasoned workplace injury attorney is so you can look at other potential legal avenues wherein you may be able to recover compensation.

Workers’ compensation pays benefits for direct economic losses such as reasonable and necessary medical bills and a percentage of lost earnings. But unfortunately, they do not provide coverage for noneconomic losses such as pain and suffering and emotional distress.

While you normally cannot sue your employer in Pennsylvania for a work-related injury, you may be able to bring a legal claim against an outside party that may have been responsible for the injury. For example, if your heavy machinery injury happened because of a defective or dangerous machine or machine part that malfunctioned at the wrong time, you may be able to bring a product liability claim against the designer, manufacturer, or distributor of the faulty product.

Contact Our Experienced Heavy Machinery Accident Injury Attorneys

When the attorneys at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C. handle your heavy machinery accident case, we explore all your options to help you achieve full and fair compensation, whether in the form of a favorable settlement or verdict. Contact our Pittsburgh law office by calling us at 412-391-9860 in Pittsburgh or Western Pennsylvania, or toll free at 866-466-5789. You may also complete our online contact form. Initial consultations are free and confidential.