New Orleans Forklift & Crane Accident Lawyer
Forklifts, cranes, and other similar heavy machinery are essential aspects of many industries here in New Orleans. From warehouses and shipyards, to railyards and construction, employees are tasked with operating and working around forklifts, side loaders, pallet jacks, telehandlers, tower cranes, cherrypickers, and bridge cranes. While these types of machinery can perform the physical labor of dozens or even hundreds of human-powered devices (such as pulleys or physically hauling loads on one’s shoulder), working around and with forklifts and cranes can be incredibly hazardous. If you or your loved one was injured in a workplace accident, our New Orleans forklift & crane accident lawyer at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC can provide invaluable assistance in gathering medical evidence, filing a workers’ compensation claim, and ensuring that you are compensated fairly.
Most Common Forklift Accidents
Whether you were operating the forklift or a co-worker was, you are entitled to no-fault workers’ compensation benefits.
- Overloading
- Prior failure to properly stack shelves
- Shelving collapse
- Failure to secure the cargo
- Forklift defect
- Running into fixed objects
- Other operator errors
Most Common Crane Accidents
Crane accidents commonly injure other workers, not just the crane operator. Below are a few of the most common causes of crane accidents.
- Overloading
- Collapse of crane arm
- Crane defect
- Cable defect
- Instability of the load
- Overly wide swing of the crane arm
- Other operator errors
Wage Compensation Under Louisiana’s Workers’ Comp Act
Virtually all Louisiana employers are legally required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, which is no-fault insurance for all of their employees should they get injured or sick on the job. Workers’ comp pays for all of an employee’s medical needs, including emergency medical services, surgery, post-operative care, and physical therapy.
Wage compensation is the other half of workers’ compensation. It is paid to employees who are injured to the degree that they cannot perform their normal job duties.
- Partial disability—you are deemed medically capable of working at some capacity. For example, if your doctor says you can work half time, you will receive your paycheck for those hours, plus workers’ compensation wage replacement for the normal hours you cannot work.
- Total disability—you are deemed medically incapable of working at any capacity. As such, your employer shall pay two-thirds of your normal weekly wages for a specified period of time.
Disability can be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the workers’ injuries, their recovery progress, and the type of employment they were engaged in; for example, an injured office worker may be able to return to work eventually, while a construction worker who sustained the same injury may never be able to return to work full time again due to the demanding physical nature of their job.
Contact a New Orleans Forklift and Crane Accident Lawyer
Injuries stemming from forklift and crane accidents can be severe and life-threatening. Workers’ compensation pays regardless of who was at fault. If you were injured in such an accident, call Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today at 601-488-3975 to schedule a free consultation with our experienced New Orleans forklift and crane accident lawyer.
