How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 2,749 severe cases involving you being struck by vehicles in non-roadway environments. Fractures are the most common injury, accounting for 56% of all reported incidents. These injuries often require extensive medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
The severity of these accidents is reflected in the frequency of leg and foot injuries. When you are struck by heavy equipment, the impact often results in life-altering trauma. These events are rarely minor, frequently leading to permanent impairment or complex surgical needs.
Common injuries
Most of these incidents involve industrial vehicles and material hauling equipment, which account for 57% of all reported sources. Common scenarios include you being struck while walking through loading docks, getting pinned by forklifts during material handling, or being hit by loads that fall from trucks during unloading. These accidents often occur when visibility is obstructed or when pedestrian walkways are not clearly separated from heavy equipment traffic.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 1,466 |
| 2 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 482 |
| 3 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 188 |
| 4 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 115 |
| 5 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 89 |
| 6 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 80 |
| 7 | Intracranial Injuries | 60 |
| 8 | Bruises, contusions | 38 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing leads all sectors with 24% of these incidents, largely due to the constant movement of heavy materials and powered equipment in confined spaces. Transportation and warehousing follow closely at 21%, where the high volume of forklift traffic and loading dock activity creates a persistent risk for you.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you being struck by forklift loads, run over by equipment tracks, or hit by materials sliding off flatbed trucks. These incidents frequently occur during routine tasks like inspecting cargo or exchanging tools with operators. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine if safety protocols were ignored.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CT | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was inspecting a flatbed truck for air leaks. A forklift was offloading a pallet from the flatbed truck when the pallet caught the edge of a bundled lumber unit. The lumber unit slid off the bed of the truck and struck the employee's hip. The employee sustained a fractured pelvis and a hip injury." | |
| 2025 | ME | Construction | "An excavator operator and the injured employee were exchanging a hand tool on a utility right of way. After the tool exchange the excavator moved forward and the tracks ran over the big toe of the injured employee's right foot. The toe was crushed, resulting in amputation of the tip." | |
| 2025 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was fulfilling orders when their foot was run over by a center-rider forklift. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured foot." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "Employees were unloading bundles of 20-foot long steel bars from the back of a container truck using a forklift with a crane boom attachment. As the forklift traveled down a ramp from the truck, a strap broke and a bundle fell on the injured employee's foot. The employee was hospitalized and their fourth toe and part of the third toe were medically amputated." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "An employee was walking across the dock, interacting with forklift drivers on what was being loaded. A forklift drove forward with a tall load on the forks. The employee was struck by the load (running board/rocker panel rack) on the forklift. The employee sustained several contusions and an injury to their right Achilles tendon that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | PA | Retail Trade | "An employee was working to change the tires and brakes on a vehicle. He pulled the vehicle out of the bay. The brakes failed, and the car drifted backward into another bay where it pinned the injured employee against the arm of a vehicle lift. The injured employee sustained seven fractured ribs on his left side." | |
| 2025 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was on a dock inspecting a load of freight. A lift struck the load, causing it to fall and strike the employee. The employee was hospitalized with injuries to their face, back, and leg." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "A team was setting a vertical turbine pump for a chill water sump. To align the bolt holes, a forklift was used to bump the pump a small amount. The injured employee was checking if the holes were aligned when the pump was bumped again. Their right index finger was caught inside a bolt hole resulting in a fingertip amputation. " | |
| 2025 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was loading machinery onto a trailer. The trailer had to be moved while the machinery was already on it. The employee was walking next to the tractor trailer when a piece of machinery shifted. The employee reached for the equipment and became caught between the moving trailer and the opening of the overhead garage door. The employee sustained fractures." | |
| 2025 | NY | Agriculture | "An employee was inspecting materials in a warehouse area. While she was in a main aisle, a forklift backed into her foot. She suffered a possible fracture to the foot and was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
The most frequent injuries are fractures, which occur in 56% of all reported cases. You may also suffer from severe crush injuries to the legs and feet, as well as traumatic amputations. An attorney can help you document the full extent of these injuries to ensure your claim reflects your medical needs.
Employers are required to maintain safe pedestrian pathways and ensure operators are properly trained under OSHA standards. If your employer failed to separate foot traffic from vehicle routes or allowed unsafe loading practices, they may be liable for your injuries. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer violated safety regulations.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injuries you sustain during the course of employment. This includes accidents involving vehicles in warehouses or construction sites. An attorney can help you verify that your benefits are being calculated correctly based on your injury severity.
Seek immediate medical attention and ensure the incident is reported to your supervisor as soon as possible. It is also vital to document the scene and gather contact information from any witnesses. Speaking with an attorney early on can help you preserve evidence and protect your rights throughout the claims process.