New Jersey Heavy Equipment Accident Lawyer

Manual worker assisting his colleague with physical injury in steel mill.

Heavy equipment is used on many job sites and construction zones as well as in factories, plants, warehouses, and other places of employment. Working with, or in close proximity to, powerful, heavy equipment can increase your risk of a severe injury. Equipment, including stationary machines used in manufacturing and movable equipment like bulldozers and dump trucks, make some jobs easier. Unfortunately, these heavy machines also cause life-altering injuries and fatalities.

The experienced and skilled New Jersey & New York heavy equipment accident attorneys at Nagel Rice, LLP can help you recover financial compensation for your injuries. We aggressively pursue claims against corporations, individuals, and government entities that have negligently caused your injury. Call now for your free consultation to discuss your rights and options for filing a heavy equipment injury claim.

Nagel Rice, LLP, obtained a $1.73 Million on behalf of an ironworker injured in a construction site accident and $550,000 in product liability action involving an unsafe machine. Click here to review more serious personal injury verdicts and settlements.

Types of Heavy Equipment Used by Employees

Employees use a variety of large pieces of equipment to perform job duties on construction sites, work zones, and other industrial environments. However, anyone who is around heavy equipment can be injured by such machinery. Injuries are not limited to the operators of heavy equipment.

Industries that commonly use heavy equipment as part of their daily activities include:

  • Utility companies
  • Bridge and road construction crews
  • Road maintenance crews
  • Construction companies
  • Grading and landscaping companies
  • Factories and manufacturing plants

The equipment used on these sites varies greatly. Some common pieces of heavy equipment are:  front-end loaders, pile driving equipment, paving and asphalt equipment, cranes, bulldozers, backhoes, and excavators. In factories and manufacturing facilities, large robotic machines, conveyor belts, fabrication equipment, hydraulic presses, sheet metal machines, welding machines, and drill machines, are typically used.

Heavy Equipment Injuries

Heavy equipment is dangerous for several reasons. The weight of the equipment is a danger, of course, but there are other dangers. Some of these large machines have many moving parts that can pose a significant danger to operators and bystanders. Improper use or operation of heavy equipment can result in a deadly accident. If the person survives the accident, he or she may sustain severe, life-altering injuries.

Some common injuries associated with heavy equipment include:

  • Backup and Collision Injuries — Equipment that rolls or moves can easily back over or hit someone. For instance, large dump trucks working on the side of the road in a construction zone can back over another vehicle or a worker. They can also cause traffic accidents while moving materials on the highway.
  • Rollover or Tip Over Accident — Because of the size and weight of large pieces of machinery, they are prone to rollover accidents. Operators and anyone around the piece of equipment can be killed or severely injured in a tip over accident.
  • Hearing Loss — Losing your hearing can be devastating. In some cases, severe hearing loss may be irreversible, resulting in permanent impairment. For some victims, hearing loss prevents them from being able to work.
  • Repetitive Motion Injuries — Repetitive motion injuries can occur from working the same controls for ten to twelve hours a day, five to six days a week. Operators can suffer injuries to their tendons and muscles from the repetitive motions which may require surgical repair or may be irreparable.
  • Assembly Line Accidents — Heavy machinery used on assembly lines can cause severe accidents. Amputations are a common injury caused by plant machinery, conveyor belts, and assembly line machines.
  • Cleaning and Maintenance Accidents — Some accidents occur when employees are performing general maintenance, cleaning, adjusting machines, or performing repairs on the machine. These machines are complex pieces of equipment. Being able to clean, adjust or repair them safely requires prolonged training and supervision.

Common injuries that occur in heavy equipment accidents include:

Injuries from heavy machine accidents can be extremely costly as well as traumatic.  Victims incur massive medical expenses and considerable loss of income. In addition, injuries cause extreme physical pain and emotional suffering. By hiring the New Jersey & New York accident attorneys at Nagel Rice, you can increase your chance of recovering full compensation for all claims.

Causes of Accidents

There are several reasons why an accident involving heavy equipment occurs. Operator error is one of the common causes of an accident. The operator is not paying attention, inexperienced, impaired by alcohol or drugs, or operating the machine while drowsy or fatigued. When an operator causes an accident, the company may also be held liable, especially if the company did not provide adequate training or properly screen job applicants.

Defects in the machinery itself can also cause accidents. Parts and machine manufacturers may be held liable if a defective part or machine contributed to the accident. Similarly, the owner of a company may be liable if a failure to perform maintenance or repairs has contributed to the heavy equipment accident. Other causes of this type of accident include unsafe property conditions, inadequate training, safety violations, and ineffective supervision.

Identifying the correct parties as those who are liable for the accident is crucial if you want to recover damages for your injury claim. If you don’t focus your lawsuit correctly, you may not be successful in receiving the damages you deserve.

Our New York and New Jersey heavy equipment accident attorneys at Nagel Rice will thoroughly investigate your accident to determine what caused it and who is liable for your injuries. Regardless of whether your accident occurred on a job site, road construction site, manufacturing line, or other location, we will discover what happened and gather evidence to build a persuasive case for compensation.

Heavy Equipment Accident Attorneys Serving New Jersey & New York

For anyone who operates or works near heavy equipment, there is a substantial risk of injury. Depending on the circumstances and facts surrounding the accident, an employer, manufacturer, government entity, company, or other third party may be held liable for your injuries. It is very important that you seek the advice and counsel of an experienced heavy equipment accident attorney. At Nagel Rice LLP, our team of adept personal injury lawyers is ready to work with you to recover the compensation you deserve for a heavy equipment injury. You can reach us by phone or email or by filling out a contact form on our website.

Nagel Rice LLP helps their clients with their heavy equipment accident claims throughout New Jersey including Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Passaic County, and Sussex County.