How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 1,841 severe cases involving you being struck by powered vehicles or machinery over the last decade. Fractures are the most common nature of these injuries, accounting for 41% of all reported incidents.
These events frequently result in life-altering trauma, with fingers being the most commonly affected body part. The severity of these impacts often leads to long-term disability and extensive medical recovery periods for you.
Common injuries
Injuries typically occur when you are pinned, crushed, or struck by industrial vehicles and trucks. Common scenarios involve you being caught between a moving vehicle and a stationary object, or being struck while walking near heavy earth-moving machinery. These incidents often stem from poor visibility, lack of designated pedestrian walkways, or equipment failure during operation.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 736 |
| 2 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 495 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 255 |
| 4 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 72 |
| 5 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 63 |
| 6 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 55 |
| 7 | Bruises, contusions | 41 |
| 8 | Intracranial Injuries | 31 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 22% of reported incidents, largely due to the high volume of heavy equipment operating in close proximity to ground crews. Transportation and warehousing follow closely, where the constant movement of trucks and forklifts in tight loading zones creates significant risk for you when on foot.
Real cases like yours
Incident reports frequently highlight patterns of you being pinned between vehicles and stationary objects or struck when equipment unexpectedly moves. These situations often involve communication failures between operators and ground staff or mechanical malfunctions during maintenance. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was walking beside a pallet jack while operating it and became pinned between the pallet jack and some pallets. The employee sustained a fractured left leg." | |
| 2025 | TX | Retail Trade | "An employee was working under a pickup truck, changing out the shift linkage cable. The cable was being attached to the gear shift from within the cab. When the cable was pulled within the cab to connect it, the truck went into neutral and rolled over the employee's left shoulder. The employee suffered fractures to the left humerus, left shoulder blade, and left-side ribs, as well as severe contusions to the left shoulder." | |
| 2025 | PA | Other Services | "An employee was working on a tractor's brakes when the vehicle lunged forward and the tire rolled over his lower leg. He was hospitalized with bruising." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Accommodation & Food Services | "A chauffeur exited their vehicle. The vehicle (an SUV) ran over the chauffeur and crushed their pelvis resulting in hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "An employee was training a co-worker to use a forklift to empty a bulk bag into a hopper. The employee was standing under the forks and asked the co-worker to dismount the forklift and assist them. The co-worker contacted the gearshift while dismounting, setting the forklift to "forward." The injured employee was then pinned between the tipper and the forklift mast. The co-worker backed up the forklift to release the employee, causing him to drop to the ground. The employee was then struck by the contents of the bulk bag falling on his head and body. He was hospitalized with a fracture in his chest and injury to his back and abdomen." | |
| 2025 | PA | Retail Trade | "An employee was operating a rolling container carrier (RTC) vehicle in pedestrian mode. When he operated the hand lever to turn it, the RTC pinned his left leg against the pick location. The employee suffered a laceration on his left knee and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was loading freight in a trailer using a forklift. He exited the forklift and walked toward the nose of the trailer. The forklift began to roll forward, and its blade tore a tendon in his left foot/ankle." | |
| 2025 | NY | Manufacturing | "An employee was working to move a pallet jack that had gotten stuck between the dock and the trailer. When the equipment was loosened, it struck the employee, throwing them backward onto the ground. The employee sustained fractured ribs and injury to their spleen and liver." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was stepping off a walkie rider pallet jack when their left foot was crushed between the pallet jack and the racks. The employee sustained a laceration and fracture to their left ankle." | |
| 2025 | CT | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was at ground level, using a reach tool to pull down a loose cardboard slip sheet from a fourth level rack slot. Upon releasing the slip sheet, it fell and depressed the accelerator of an electric utility cart, causing the cart to begin to drive away and strike the corner of the racking. The employee's lower left arm was caught between the cart and the racking. The employee was hospitalized with a fractures to their radius and ulna, and required surgery." |
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, followed by severe amputations and crushing injuries. These events often impact the fingers, legs, and chest due to the immense force of heavy machinery. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your injuries for your claim.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injuries you sustain during the course of employment. This applies even if the accident involved a vehicle or heavy machinery. An attorney can help ensure your claim accurately reflects the severity of your condition.
While Workers' Compensation is generally the primary remedy, third-party claims may exist if a party other than your employer is responsible for the equipment failure or accident. An attorney can help you evaluate whether your situation allows for additional legal action beyond standard benefits.
OSHA requires employers to maintain safe operating procedures, including clear separation of pedestrians and vehicles and proper training for all equipment operators. Failure to implement these safeguards may indicate employer negligence. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer violated these critical safety requirements.