Workers' Compensation And Personal Injury Law Blog

Operating a forklift is a potentially dangerous job, but someone has to do it. As a forklift operator, such as in a warehouse or manufacturing plant, it's critical to understand the steps you can take to prevent trouble.

Here are five forklift safety tips to follow at all times:

• Inspect the forklift before use: Don't assume that a forklift is in good working condition. Inspect it for defects and damages, and notify your supervisor should you find anything wrong.
• Wear the appropriate clothing: This typically includes safety shoes, hardhat and a high visibility vest. Also, avoid wearing loose clothing that could get caught on machinery.
• Know your environment: Don't assume your work environment will remain the same from day to day. For example, there may be new signs in place for clearance heights and driving paths. Knowing your environment also means knowing where your co-workers are at all times.
• Beware of hazards: This includes but is not limited to objects on the ground, wet spots, uneven surfaces and other vehicles. These hazards have a way of popping up when you least expect it.
• Check your load: When carrying any type of load with a forklift, it must be stable and secure. Many forklift accidents are a result of improper loading and/or attempting to carry too much weight.

The trucking industry has always been an important part of the U.S. business infrastructure. Whether its transporting goods to consumers or equipment to job sites, truckers are a vital component in noation's industrdial growth. Unfortunately, since a trucker's job is mostly on the road even when bad weather hits, they are significantly more likely to be involved in accidents, in some situations, even a fatal one. 

Truck drivers and delivery workers have the highest number of workplace fatalities over any other occupation, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. In 2016 alone, 918 truck drivers and driver sales workers died while fulfilling their workplace duties. The numbers for the last two years are still in the reporting stage. Even though fatalities on all high-risk jobs have been steadily increasing since 2008, the number of deaths involving those in the trucking industry far exceeds the next highest occupation fatalities, farming, which saw 260 deaths in 2016. 

Almost no one takes to Fremont's roads intending to cause a car accident; on the contrary, most take their individual charge to drive safely in order to protect those on the road around them very seriously. Yet intent does not necessarily have to be present in order to assign liability in a car accident. Indeed, most collisions are just that: accidents. However, the responsible party typically must shoulder the blame when it comes to covering the expenses of those affected by an accident (regardless of whether or not their fault was due to recklessness, negligence or mere circumstance). 

Authorities in San Jose are trying to determine exactly what caused a fiery collision that left one driver dead, several others injured and lanes closed for several hours on state Highway 101. It was reported that a car hit the center divider and came to a stop on the highway. Several other cars ended up striking either that vehicle or others that had hit it, touching off a fire that damaged several vehicles. The original vehicle was actually so badly burned that officials could not even determine its make and model. Its driver was killed in the collision, while two others were taken to local hospitals for treatment. 

If you work in California, it is important that you understand the rights you have under the law. These rights include what should happen if you are ever involved in an accident while you are working or if you are diagnosed with a work-related illness. Under the state's workers' compensation program, you may be entitled to certain benefits in these situations.

If you discover an illness or experience an injury connected to your employment, you should inform your employer as soon as possible. If you wait more than 30 days from the date you learned about a situation or from an accident date, you may lose your right to receive workers' compensation benefits. Within one day of being notified of the situation, your employer is required to provide you with a DWC 1 form. You must complete this form and return it to your employer. This begins the review of your workers' compensation claim.