How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 2,188 severe incidents involving nonroadway vehicle collisions over the last decade. Fractures are the most common outcome, representing 48% of all reported cases and often requiring extensive medical intervention.
These collisions frequently impact your fingers, which account for 13% of all injuries. The severity of these impacts often leads to long-term musculoskeletal damage or permanent impairment, necessitating a thorough review of your medical and financial recovery options.
Common injuries
These incidents typically occur when you lose control of powered industrial vehicles or fail to account for clearance in tight warehouse spaces. Industrial vehicles are the primary source of these collisions, often resulting in you being pinned against racking, bollards, or structural supports. When equipment is operated in congested areas or on slick surfaces, the risk of a collision that traps you between the vehicle and a stationary object increases significantly.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 1,035 |
| 2 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 390 |
| 3 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 321 |
| 4 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 150 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 60 |
| 6 | Intracranial Injuries | 46 |
| 7 | Bruises, contusions | 41 |
| 8 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 30 |
Where injuries happen most
Transportation and warehousing accounts for 29% of these incidents, largely due to the high volume of pallet jacks and forklifts operating in close proximity to you. In these environments, the pressure to maintain speed often leads to lapses in safety protocols, resulting in collisions with storage racks or loading dock infrastructure.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include operators losing control while reversing, striking structural bollards, or becoming pinned between equipment and warehouse racking. These incidents often involve preventable errors, such as operating machinery on slippery floors or failing to maintain safe clearance distances. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine your options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | PA | Construction | "An employee was moving an aerial lift across the mechanical room when he struck a hanging duct structure. The employee sustained lacerations to the face and a fractured jaw." | |
| 2025 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "On July 29, 2025, an employee was using a riding pallet jack to load gaylords (corrugated boxes) into a trailer. While reversing out of the trailer, the pallet jack backed into a protective bollard. The employee's hand was crushed between the pallet jack and the bollard. He sustained fractures, requiring hospitalization and surgery." | |
| 2025 | PA | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was operating a standup forklift in the warehouse. The forklift struck racking, causing the employee to lose their balance. Their left foot became caught between the forklift and the racking and was fractured." | |
| 2025 | FL | Agriculture | "An employee was riding in a utility task vehicle (UTV) with several children (patrons). One of the children pressed the gas pedal of the UTV and the vehicle struck a fence post. The employee was thrown from the UTV and sustained five broken ribs, a partial pneumothorax to the right lung, an abrasion to the right arm, and contusions to the body. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | AL | Administrative Services | "An employee was driving a forklift when the forklift slipped on butter that was on the floor, causing it to strike a rack. The employee's left big toe contacted the rack, resulting in an amputation." | |
| 2025 | CO | Retail Trade | "An employee was being trained to use a counterbalance forklift. While operating the forklift under the supervision of his trainer, the employee exited one aisle and began turning into another when his left foot struck the end of a racking angle iron (rack protector). The employee was hospitalized with multiple foot and ankle fractures." | |
| 2025 | IL | Retail Trade | "An employee was driving a pickup truck into an auction lot when it collided with a security hut, causing the airbags to deploy. The employee was hospitalized due to a broken right hip; broken ribs number three, five, and seven on the right side; a chest contusion; a laceration to the top of the head; and a concussion." | |
| 2025 | MO | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a stand-up cart tugger and was returning from delivering a cart of I-beams to a staging area. The vehicle struck a rock on the concrete pad and then suddenly swerved to the left. The employee lost balance and fell out of the vehicle, landing on his hip. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured right hip and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | WI | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was traveling through a loading dock area on a stand-up forklift. His foot was pinned between the forklift and a column, resulting in fractures to the foot and the heel." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "An employee was driving a carry deck/small crane when its boom made contact with an overhead support beam. The employee was jostled in the cab and suffered a concussion." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Fractures are the most frequent injury, often affecting your legs and fingers when you are pinned or struck. These injuries can be severe, sometimes requiring surgery or resulting in permanent damage. An attorney can help you understand how to document these injuries for your claim.
Employers are required to maintain safe operating conditions and provide adequate training for all vehicle operators. If your injury resulted from a failure to enforce safety standards or maintain equipment, your employer may be liable for your damages. An attorney can help you evaluate whether your employer met their safety obligations.
Workers' Compensation typically covers medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and a portion of lost wages while you recover. Depending on the circumstances, you may also be entitled to compensation for permanent impairment or disability. An attorney can help you verify that you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to.
OSHA mandates strict training and operational requirements for powered industrial trucks under 29 CFR 1910.178. Employers must ensure that vehicles are operated safely and that the work environment is free from recognized hazards that could lead to collisions. An attorney can help you determine if an OSHA violation contributed to your injury.