How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 4,097 severe cases involving trucks over the last decade. Fractures account for 45% of these injuries, which often require extensive surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
The severity of these incidents is driven by the massive weight and momentum of the vehicles involved. Injuries frequently impact your fingers, leading to life-altering consequences.
How these injuries happen
Injuries involving trucks most often occur when you fall from the vehicle or are struck by moving equipment. Other common scenarios include being caught in running machinery during maintenance or being hit by a vehicle while working in nonroadway areas like loading docks.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other fall to lower level | 1,882 |
| 2 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 539 |
| 3 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | 378 |
| 4 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 257 |
| 5 | Nonroadway noncollision incident | 162 |
| 6 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 141 |
| 7 | Roadway noncollision incident | 79 |
| 8 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in road work zone | 71 |
Where injuries happen most
Transportation and warehousing accounts for 24% of all truck-related incidents. This rate is driven by the constant movement of heavy vehicles in confined spaces, where the proximity between you and moving trucks creates significant risk.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include you suffering amputations during routine maintenance, fractures from falls off liftgates, and severe crushing injuries when vehicles move unexpectedly. 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 | TX | Other Services | "A driver was doing a pre-trip inspection on a tractor when their fingers got caught in a fan belt and the tops of two fingers were amputated." | |
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "Employees were preparing to unload a wind turbine gearbox from a flatbed trailer. An employee went to reposition himself on the flatbed trailer and grabbed onto a wooden piece of the shipping cribbing for support. The piece of wood began to come loose, causing the employee to lose his balance. The employee jumped to the ground about 4 feet below and landed on his feet. His left ankle rolled and the employee was hospitalized with a fractured ankle that required surgery." | |
| 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 | AL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was making a delivery. While working to offload a skid, the employee fell off the liftgate and landed on the ground, sustaining a fractured right ankle." | |
| 2025 | WV | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was loading inflatable rafts onto a flatbed truck. The employee misstepped and fell from the truck, striking the left side of their head on a concrete pad and sustaining bruises to their left eye socket, hand, elbow, and knee, as well as a bloody nose. The employee was hospitalized with a concussion and a brain bleed." | |
| 2025 | IL | Retail Trade | "An employee was driving a pickup truck into an auction lot when it collided with a security hut, causing the airbags to deploy. The employee was hospitalized due to a broken right hip; broken ribs number three, five, and seven on the right side; a chest contusion; a laceration to the top of the head; and a concussion." | |
| 2025 | CT | Administrative Services | "A driver was climbing the rear trailer ladder to facilitate tarping when they lost balance, slipped, and fell approximately 6-8 feet to the ground. The employee sustained a fractured wrist." | |
| 2025 | TX | Administrative Services | "An employee was placing water bottles and ice into a cooler in the bed of a truck. He fell from the bed and struck his head on the pavement below. The employee was hospitalized with a head injury." | |
| 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." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Workers' Compensation is designed to cover injuries you sustain during the course of your employment, regardless of who was at fault. If you were struck by a truck while performing your job duties, you are generally entitled to medical coverage and wage replacement. An attorney can help you ensure your claim is filed correctly and that you receive the full benefits you are entitled to.
Employers are legally required to maintain all workplace vehicles in safe operating condition under OSHA standards. If a mechanical failure or lack of proper guarding contributed to your injury, this may provide grounds for a more comprehensive claim. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer neglected their maintenance obligations and how that impacts your case.
Falls from trucks are a leading cause of severe injury and are typically covered under Workers' Compensation. Even if the fall occurred during a routine task like loading or unloading, your employer is responsible for providing a safe environment. An attorney can help you document the circumstances of your fall to support your claim.
Insurance companies often attempt to minimize payouts by disputing the severity of your injuries or the circumstances of the accident. An attorney can review your medical records and the details of the incident to verify that your benefits are being calculated accurately. They provide the expertise needed to challenge unfair denials or insufficient settlements.