Roadway noncollision incidents at Work — Injury Statistics and Claims Information
Roadway noncollision incidents at Work
Severe roadway incidents are trending downward
OSHA recorded 153 severe cases of roadway noncollision incidents, a category that includes vehicle rollovers and tipping machinery. These events frequently result in severe physical trauma, with fractures representing 42.1% of all reported injuries and intracranial injuries occurring in 17.2% of cases.
The physical toll of these incidents is significant, as they often involve multiple body parts and the brain. With 18.0% of cases impacting multiple body parts and 16.7% involving brain injuries, the long-term recovery for workers is frequently complex and demanding.
What's Driving the Trend?
The frequency of these incidents has seen a 68.2% decrease over the last ten years, reflecting improvements in equipment stability and operator training. Despite this decline, trucks remain the primary source of danger, involved in 51.6% of all recorded incidents.
Administrative services and construction industries account for a combined 52.3% of these cases. These sectors face heightened risk due to the frequent use of heavy machinery and transport vehicles on uneven or temporary work surfaces.
Injury Types from Roadway noncollision incidents
Top causes based on OSHA incident reports
These incidents typically occur when vehicles like trucks, forklifts, or heavy earth-moving machinery lose stability on sloped shoulders, soft ground, or uneven terrain. A common scenario involves an operator transitioning from a paved surface to gravel or dirt, causing the vehicle to sink, flip, or roll over. When machinery is used to haul materials or navigate work zones, any shift in the center of gravity can lead to a catastrophic loss of control.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 61 |
| 2 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 27 |
| 3 | Intracranial Injuries | 25 |
| 4 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 7 |
| 5 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 6 |
| 6 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 4 |
| 7 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 3 |
| 8 | Bruises, contusions | 3 |
Why This Matters for Your Case
Employers are legally required to maintain safe operating conditions under the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act. For powered industrial trucks, 29 CFR 1910.178 mandates strict adherence to stability requirements and safe operating procedures. Failure to provide adequate training or to ensure that ground conditions are suitable for heavy equipment operation often constitutes a violation of these safety standards.
Industries with Most Roadway noncollision incidents
Where these injuries occur most frequently
Administrative services and construction industries represent the highest risk, accounting for 27.5% and 24.8% of incidents respectively. In these environments, the pressure to move materials quickly often leads to the operation of heavy vehicles on unstable or poorly prepared ground.
High-Risk Industries and Your Rights
Construction employers must comply with 29 CFR 1926.602, which covers the safe operation of earth-moving equipment and material handling vehicles. These regulations require that equipment be operated within its design limits and that site conditions are assessed to prevent rollovers. Employers in administrative and manufacturing sectors must also ensure that all operators are certified and that equipment is maintained to prevent mechanical failures that lead to tipping.
Real Incident Reports
From actual OSHA investigation files
The reported incidents reveal a recurring pattern of equipment instability during routine tasks like unloading materials or navigating work zones. Whether it is a forklift sinking into soft ground or a truck rolling over on a sloped shoulder, these events demonstrate that even minor transitions between surfaces can lead to life-altering fractures and brain injuries. The data shows that these failures are rarely isolated accidents but are instead linked to the physical environment of the job site.
"An employee was using an excavator to unload concrete traffic barriers. The excavator swung, tipped over an existing barrier, and fell into a ravine/wetland. The employee sustained a fractured left shin requiring hospitalization and surgery."
"Two employees were driving a water truck pulling a trailer on the sloped shoulder within the barricade of a work zone when the truck and the trailer rolled over. One employee sustained a broken femur and was hospitalized. The second employee sustained contusions to the lower back left side and left forearm and was not hospitalized."
"An employee was picking up traffic barrels while standing on a moving flatbed trailer. When the vehicle made a U-turn, the employee lost his balance and fell onto the freeway pavement. The employee sustained a fracture to the back of the skull and a brain bleed."
"An employee was operating a forklift on the roadway near a building. While backing up, the rear tires left the pavement and sank into the soft ground causing the forklift to flip onto its side. The employee s right leg and foot were trapped underneath the forklift resulting in multiple broken metatarsals."
"An employee was driving a utility vehicle and making rounds in the facility. While transitioning from the paved portion of the roadway to the uneven gravel portion, the vehicle overturned and the employee's left foot was caught between the vehicle and the ground. The employee sustained a dislocated left ankle."
"On November 7, 2024, an employee slipped off the rear platform of a truck while moving temporary road signs. The employee was struck by the trailer that the truck was pulling and they sustained fractures to their left tibia and fibula."
"An employee was driving a telehandler (forklift) on a rural road with drainage ditches on both sides of the road. A tube of grease rolled near the operating pedals of the telehandler and when the operator bent over to grab the tube, the telehandler veered off the road. The tires of the telehandler slid on wet grass and went into a ditch. When the telehandler got to the bottom of the ditch (approximately 15 feet below), it tipped over onto the cab's passenger side. The employee was wearing a seatbelt and struck the interior structure of the telehandler cab and sustained a fractured right clavicle requiring hospitalization."
"A crane operator was transitioning a crane from a slope to a flat surface when the crane began tipping over. The operator jumped from the cab of the crane and landed on the bridge deck as the crane overturned on the bridge. The employee was hospitalized with an injury to the left arm."
"An employee was riding on the back of a refuse vehicle while moving to another set of trash containers. Their foot slipped off the rear of the truck and they fell to the ground. The employee sustained a fractured right leg."
"An employee was driving a semi tractor pulling a tanker trailer that was applying calcium chloride to a gravel road. The truck was driving 11 miles per hour on a straight stretch of gravel road when it rolled to the edge of the road and rolled over onto its side in a ditch. The employee suffered bruises, a cut on the elbow, cracked ribs, fractured vertebrae, and a punctured lung. He was hospitalized."
Common Questions About Roadway noncollision incidents Claims
The ClaimsBoost Research Team aggregates official government data to help workers understand workplace injury trends and their coverage options.
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