How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 738 severe cases involving passenger vehicles over the last decade. Fractures account for 47% of these injuries, often resulting in complex medical needs and extended recovery periods for you.
The physical impact of being struck by a vehicle often causes life-altering injuries that demand significant long-term care. An attorney can help you secure the benefits you need to recover.
Hit by a vehicle? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most injuries occur when you are struck by a vehicle in a nonroadway area, accounting for 26% of all reported incidents. These accidents often happen in parking lots, warehouses, or job sites where vehicle paths and foot traffic overlap without proper separation. You are frequently caught off guard by moving vehicles, leading to crushing injuries or being pinned against surfaces.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | 185 |
| 2 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 101 |
| 3 | Other fall to lower level | 84 |
| 4 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in road work zone | 74 |
| 5 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway | 65 |
| 6 | Nonroadway noncollision incident | 25 |
| 7 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 24 |
| 8 | Pedestrian incidents involving motorized land vehicles— unspecified | 21 |
Where injuries happen most
Retail trade leads with 19% of all reported incidents, as high-traffic parking areas and loading zones create constant exposure. Transportation and warehousing follow, where the density of moving vehicles and personnel in confined spaces significantly increases your risk of collision.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include you being struck while directing traffic, exiting vehicles, or performing site inspections near moving equipment. These incidents often stem from poor visibility, lack of designated pedestrian walkways, or driver error in high-traffic zones. 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 | 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 | MD | Professional Services | "An employee was performing a routine site visit when he was struck by a car while on the shoulder of a road. The employee was hospitalized with two fractures to his leg." | |
| 2025 | NY | Arts & Entertainment | "An employee was at a guard shack checking in and directing guests. After motioning a camper forward, he turned to head back to the guard shack and the first rear tire of the camper struck his left foot and he fell to the ground. The second rear wheel went over his right leg, resulting in a fractured femur. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | CT | Other Services | "An employee was inspecting a vehicle at an automobile body shop. He leaned down and a sharp piece of metal that was sticking out from a damaged door on the car severely lacerated his lower right leg. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | PA | Administrative Services | "An employee was in their personal vehicle awaiting instructions from the construction contractor on posting traffic cones. The driver of a motor vehicle swerved to avoid a steel plate in the roadway and struck the employee's car. The employee was hospitalized with four fractured ribs." | |
| 2025 | NH | Wholesale Trade | "Two employees were moving cars on the lot when a car ran over the injured employee's foot. The employee was hospitalized. " | |
| 2025 | PA | Administrative Services | "An employee was flagging traffic on a public road near a tree trimming operation. A car stopped next to him as he stood on the shoulder. A second car, approaching at high speed and about to strike the first car, veered onto the shoulder and struck the employee instead. He suffered a broken tooth, a laceration on his tongue, a laceration and bruise on his head, several broken bones, and a hematoma on his left thigh. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Real Estate | "An employee was getting into a van when he lost his grip and fell backward, striking his head on the asphalt. The employee was hospitalized with a brain bleed." | |
| 2025 | FL | Other Services | "A car was traveling on the highway when it crossed the median and drove into the property, striking a customer's car and two employees that were cleaning it in the carwash area. One employee was injured but not hospitalized. The other employee was hospitalized with a fractured left foot." | |
| 2025 | GA | Arts & Entertainment | "On May 16, 2025, a parking attendant was directing traffic at a parking lot exit after a concert. A taxi ran over her right foot, which caused her to fall onto her left side. She was hospitalized with fractures to her right foot, left hip, and left arm." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.