Nonroadway Vehicle Collisions at Work — Injury Statistics and Claims Information
Nonroadway Vehicle Collisions at Work
Collision frequency is trending upward significantly
OSHA recorded 690 severe incidents involving nonroadway vehicle collisions over the last decade. These events frequently result in life-altering injuries, with fractures being the most common nature of injury reported in over half of all cases.
The physical toll of these collisions is concentrated on the lower extremities, specifically the feet, ankles, and lower legs. Workers often face long-term disability due to the crushing injuries involved in industrial vehicle impacts.
What's Driving the Trend?
The 10-year trend shows a 39.5 percent increase in reported incidents, indicating persistent safety gaps in vehicle operation. Powered industrial vehicles and material hauling equipment remain the primary sources of these collisions, appearing in over 81 percent of all recorded cases.
Transportation, warehousing, and wholesale trade industries account for the majority of these events. These environments often feature high-traffic intersections and blind spots that require strict traffic management protocols to prevent worker contact.
Injury Types from Nonroadway Vehicle Collisions
Top causes based on OSHA incident reports
These collisions typically occur when powered industrial vehicles like forklifts or pallet jacks operate in shared workspaces without adequate separation from pedestrians. Common scenarios include vehicles reversing into workers, collisions at blind intersections, or equipment tipping over during material handling. The involvement of heavy machinery often leads to severe crushing injuries to the feet and legs when operators lose control or fail to maintain a clear line of sight.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 356 |
| 2 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 121 |
| 3 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 59 |
| 4 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 55 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 21 |
| 6 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 15 |
| 7 | Bruises, contusions | 10 |
| 8 | Intracranial Injuries | 7 |
Why This Matters for Your Case
Employers are legally required to maintain safe operating conditions under 29 CFR 1910.178, which mandates specific training and traffic control measures for powered industrial trucks. Failure to enforce speed limits, provide clear pedestrian walkways, or ensure proper maintenance of vehicle braking systems often constitutes a violation of these federal safety standards.
Industries with Most Nonroadway Vehicle Collisions
Where these injuries occur most frequently
Transportation and warehousing industries lead with 31.6 percent of all reported collisions, followed closely by wholesale trade and manufacturing. These sectors rely heavily on constant movement of goods, creating high-density traffic zones where the risk of vehicle-to-person or vehicle-to-vehicle contact is elevated.
High-Risk Industries and Your Rights
Employers in these high-risk sectors must adhere to 29 CFR 1910.178 requirements for operator certification and daily equipment inspections. Additionally, OSHA general duty clause provisions require employers to address known hazards like blind spots and inadequate aisle width to protect workers from being struck by heavy equipment.
Real Incident Reports
From actual OSHA investigation files
Reported incidents reveal a recurring pattern of workers being struck by forklifts in confined spaces like freezers or loading docks. Many cases involve operators traveling in reverse without adequate spotters or failing to yield at intersections, leading to catastrophic fractures and the need for surgical intervention.
"An employee was driving a forklift backward out of a freezer. Another forklift was entering the freezer and struck the employee's left ankle, resulting in a fracture. The employee had surgery on the ankle."
"A forklift and a pallet jack collided in an intersection. The pallet jack operator was hospitalized with a foot fracture that required surgery."
"On July 3, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, an employee was operating a utility task vehicle (UTV) on a project road when the UTV struck the rear of a reversing bulldozer. The employee struck their head and face on the UTV dashboard and collapsed onto a UTV passenger. The employee was hospitalized with a forehead laceration, a nasal fracture, and central cord syndrome. The other employee on the UTV sustained a bruised left forearm and was not hospitalized."
"On June 26, 2025, an employee was standing on a scissor lift at a height of about 6 feet. He was conducting quality checks, light cleaning, and touching up paint on a piping assembly framework that was secured to a drop-deck trailer attached to a tractor. When the tractor trailer drove forward to reposition, it contacted the scissor lift at the deck frame and pulled it forward, causing it to tip over. The employee fell with the lift to the floor. He sustained fractures to his right forearm and wrist, and a burst fracture of his L1 vertebra. He was hospitalized and required surgery."
"An employee was moving loads with a forklift when their forklift struck another forklift. One of the forklifts was traveling in reverse. The employee sustained a fractured ankle."
"An employee was driving a baggage-tugging vehicle when it collided with another baggage-tugging vehicle, nearly head-on. The two vehicles came to rest parallel to each other, with the employee's leg caught between them. The employee suffered a broken femur that required hospitalization."
"On June 10, 2025, an employee was driving a forklift west when they were struck by another forklift driving south. The suffered a puncture wound on the right calf."
"An employee was operating a stand-up reach truck. He was taking a small pallet of product through a dock area when another stand-up reach truck struck him. The steel forks punctured his lower right calf, also breaking a bone in the same area. He was hospitalized, requiring surgery."
"An employee was operating a forklift when it collided with another forklift at an intersection. The employee suffered a broken lower right leg from a rack of battery plates on the forks of the other truck."
"An employee was parking a reach truck in the charging area when his left calf was pinched against another reach truck. The employee was hospitalized with a laceration to the left calf."
Common Questions About Nonroadway Vehicle Collisions Claims
The ClaimsBoost Research Team aggregates official government data to help workers understand workplace injury trends and their coverage options.
ClaimsBoost is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. ClaimsBoost is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any government agency. Performance scores, rankings, and statistics displayed on this site are calculated by ClaimsBoost using publicly available government data from OSHA severe injury reports. Individual results may vary. Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice or a guarantee of benefits. If you need legal help, we can connect you with licensed attorneys in your area.Some written content on this page was created with the assistance of AI to help interpret and explain the data. AI can make mistakes — all content has been reviewed for accuracy, but we encourage you to verify any information that is important to your situation.