A joyride on a forklift turned fatal when teens entered a Wissinoming, Pennsylvania, paper company last fall for fun. A 13-year-old boy died after the forklift he was driving collided with another forklift driven by a friend.

While technically the accident wasn’t a “construction accident,” the accident highlights the dangers of driving a forklift, even for seasoned adult workers on an active job site. There are many ways for workers (and curious kids) to be injured or killed in a forklift accident, including:

• Falling from a forklift
• Forklift overturning
• Being struck by a forklift
• Being crushed by a forklift

Clearly, driving a forklift or other large motorized vehicle in a construction setting is an inherently dangerous activity. One company is seeking to address the problem by creating technology that senses an impending collision and automatically stops the vehicle before an accident can take place. But until that technology becomes more widely used and can be shown to provide a significant safety improvement in construction and industrial work environments, accidents are still likely to continue to happen, whether from human error, youthful curiosity or another cause.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident involving a forklift or other type of heavy machinery, any resulting injuries are likely to be severe. Sometimes they are even fatal. An experienced personal injury attorney can evaluate your case and determine how workers’ compensation and potentially other sources of compensation can help you to pay medical bills and other expenses so you can recover and move on with your life.