King County Forklift & Crane Accident Attorney
A load that shifts on a forklift or a crane boom that swings the wrong way gives a worker or a bystander no time to react, and the injuries tend to be crushing, permanent, or fatal. If you were hurt on a King County job site, or you lost someone there, Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm that represents injured people and grieving families across King County, the Eastside, and the greater Seattle area.
Finding a King County forklift and crane accident attorney matters because these cases rarely involve just one mistake. A forklift operator may have been rushed, but the pallet may have been stacked badly by someone else, the machine may have had a failing brake, and the warehouse may have had no traffic plan for pedestrians. A crane collapse can trace back to a rigger, a signal person, a rental company, a manufacturer, and a general contractor, all pointing at each other.
Workers’ compensation usually covers a worker hurt on the job, but it does not cover everything. When a party other than your own employer helped cause the harm, a separate injury claim can reach compensation that the workers’ compensation system does not provide. Finding those parties early, before equipment is repaired, moved, or returned to a rental yard, often decides how strong the case is.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW for Forklift and Crane Injury Claims
Injury Law Group NW is a Washington personal injury firm that handles construction accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, and other serious injury claims for clients throughout King County and the Puget Sound region. Our attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before representing injury victims, so we know how an insurer’s claims team and its lawyers evaluate a heavy-equipment case. We prepare every claim as though it will go to trial, and we offer free, confidential consultations. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
Troy Hunter, our founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, defending insurers and corporate clients against injury, wrongful death, and construction defect claims. He also serves as a dispute mediator. David Mordekhov spent two decades at Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov, a Seattle defense firm, trying wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and product liability cases before judges and juries. Both Troy and David are rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. David has been selected to the Super Lawyers list and teaches trial and deposition skills as faculty at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Associate attorneys Warren Barreiro and Hannah Shergold complete the team, and the firm is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice. Our attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court.
That experience shows up in results. We recovered more than $1 million for parents whose newborn died after a hospital failed to adequately test for Group B Strep, a case that also led the hospital to change its procedures. We obtained a mid-six-figure settlement for a family of five whose minivan was forced into the I-5 center barrier by a semi-truck, and another for an elderly woman struck by a transit bus in a downtown Seattle crosswalk. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome, but they reflect how we handle cases involving catastrophic harm and corporate defendants.
Clients describe us as responsive, honest, and communicative. Our case managers return calls and texts promptly, and if your injuries make travel difficult, we will meet you at your home or the hospital. David is fluent in Russian and Warren speaks Spanish, so many families can work with us in their own language.
Where Forklift and Crane Accidents Happen and Who Is Responsible
- Tip-overs and load drops: Forklifts become unstable when carrying a raised or off-center load, turning on a slope, or crossing uneven pavement. Warehouses and distribution facilities around Kent and Renton, and the shipping and freight operations near the Seattle port area, are typical settings. Liability can reach the employer, the property owner, a staffing agency, or a company that stacked or secured the load.
- Pedestrian strikes: Workers on foot, delivery drivers, and visitors are hit when operators cannot see around a load or when a site has no marked walkways. Retail loading docks and big-box stores are common locations, and the property owner or tenant may share responsibility.
- Crane collapses and boom contact: Tower cranes and mobile cranes support the high-rise and mixed-use projects rising across downtown Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond. Failures can come from overloading, poor ground preparation, bad rigging, missed inspections, or wind. Several different companies on the same site may bear fault.
- Electrocution from power line contact: A boom or mast that touches an energized line can injure everyone nearby. These claims often turn on whether the crew planned for clearance distances and whether a spotter was used.
- Dropped or swinging loads: Steel, concrete panels, and building materials that fall from a rigged load can strike workers on the ground, passersby, or neighboring property. Signal communication and rigging practices are central to the investigation.
- Defective equipment and missing safeguards: Failed brakes, faulty hydraulics, disabled alarms, and defective load-limiting devices point toward the manufacturer, a repair contractor, or an equipment rental company, which can support a product liability claim in addition to a negligence claim.
- Untrained or uncertified operators: Forklift and crane operation requires training and authorization, and an employer or contractor that puts an unqualified person on a machine may be answerable for what follows.
- Fatal heavy-equipment incidents: When a worker or bystander dies, Washington law lets the personal representative of the estate bring a wrongful death action for the benefit of the spouse or state registered domestic partner and children, and if none survive, the parents or siblings.
What to Do After a Forklift or Crane Injury in King County
Get medical care first, and tell every provider exactly how the injury happened. Crush injuries, spinal trauma, and head injuries can look milder than they are in the first hours. A traumatic brain injury in particular may not show on a scan, and insurers later argue that an untreated symptom proves the injury was minor. Consistent records from day one protect you.
Report the incident to your employer or the property manager in writing, and if you are a worker, file your workers’ compensation claim. Reporting an injury does not prevent a separate claim against a third party. If you can do so safely, or if someone can help you, photograph the machine, the load, the ground conditions, any warning signs, and the area around it. Write down the names of witnesses, the equipment’s make and ID number if visible, and the names of every company on the site, not only your employer. Workplace safety agencies may investigate serious incidents, and those findings can become important evidence.
Do not agree to a recorded statement for an insurer and do not sign releases until you have spoken to a lawyer. Adjusters look for statements that shift blame to the injured person. Under Washington’s comparative fault rule, your own share of fault reduces your recovery but does not bar it, so a claim is not lost just because someone argues you contributed.
Equipment evidence disappears quickly. Machines get repaired, returned to rental fleets, or sold, and maintenance logs and operator training records can be lost. A lawyer can send preservation demands to every company involved and arrange for qualified engineers to inspect the equipment before it changes.
On timing, most Washington injury lawsuits must be filed within three years, and a wrongful death claim follows the same three-year period, counted from the date of death. An action is commenced by filing or by service, but the other step must follow within 90 days or the filing may not stop the clock. If a city, county, or other public body is involved, such as a public works project, a formal claim must be presented first and a 60-day waiting period must pass before suit can be filed. Cases are generally filed in King County Superior Court, which sits in Seattle and at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. A case involving serious injuries typically belongs there rather than in district court, which is limited to smaller claims. Cases with federal issues or parties from other states can end up in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle.
Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims: How They Fit Together
An injured worker usually cannot sue their own employer in Washington because workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy for that relationship. It pays medical treatment and partial wage replacement, but it does not compensate for pain, disruption of your life, or the full value of lost earning capacity.
The third-party claim fills that gap. If the crane belonged to a rental company, if a subcontractor’s crew rigged the load, if a general contractor controlled the site, or if the manufacturer built a machine with a defect, those companies are not shielded by your employer’s workers’ compensation coverage. Recovery from them can include full medical costs, lost earning capacity, and noneconomic damages. Because the workers’ compensation insurer may have a right to be reimbursed from part of a third-party recovery, the claims need to be coordinated so you are not surprised at the end.
Product liability claims have their own limits. Washington presumes that harm occurring more than twelve years after a product was delivered happened after its useful safe life expired, though that presumption can be rebutted. Claims arising from construction work are also subject to a six-year outer limit tied to substantial completion of the project, and that limit cannot be raised as a defense by an owner or other party in possession and control of the improvement. These rules are one more reason to have a lawyer review the facts early.
Questions About Forklift and Crane Injury Cases
Can I sue if I was hurt by a forklift at work?
You generally cannot sue your own employer, but you can pursue workers’ compensation and, separately, a claim against any third party that contributed, such as a property owner, contractor, equipment lessor, or manufacturer.
How long do I have to file a forklift or crane injury lawsuit in Washington?
Most injury lawsuits must be commenced within three years. Claims against government entities require a formal claim first and a 60-day wait before suit. A lawyer can confirm which deadline applies to your situation.
What if I was partly to blame for the accident?
Washington follows comparative fault. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not barred from recovering. Insurers often inflate an injured person’s share, so the facts deserve careful review.
Who can be held responsible for a crane accident?
Possible defendants include the crane operator’s employer, the general contractor, a subcontractor that did the rigging, the owner of the property, a rental or leasing company, a maintenance contractor, and the equipment manufacturer. Each one’s role is sorted out through investigation.
What compensation is available?
Depending on the claim, compensation can include past and future medical care, lost wages and lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. In a death case, it can include funeral and medical expenses, lost financial support, and the loss of love and companionship.
Will a third-party claim affect my workers’ compensation benefits?
Both can proceed. The workers’ compensation insurer may be entitled to reimbursement from part of a third-party recovery, so the two claims should be managed together from the start.
What if the forklift or crane was rented or leased?
Rental companies may be responsible for poorly maintained or defective equipment, for failing to provide proper operating information, or for supplying a machine unsuited to the job. Their maintenance and inspection records become key evidence.
Does a bystander or delivery driver have a claim, or only workers?
Anyone injured by negligent equipment operation can have a claim. Visitors, truck drivers, and passersby are not limited by workers’ compensation and may bring a direct claim against the responsible companies.
How does a traumatic brain injury change the case?
Head injuries from falling loads or tip-overs may not show up on imaging, and insurers frequently dispute them. We build medical and vocational evidence so the long-term impact on your work and daily life is documented and valued properly.
How long does a heavy-equipment injury case take?
It depends on how serious the injuries are and how many companies are involved. Cases with multiple defendants and expert engineering analysis take longer than simple claims. Because we prepare every claim for trial, insurers know we are ready if a fair settlement is not offered.
What should I do if the company asks me to sign something after the accident?
Do not sign releases, waivers, or statements until a lawyer has reviewed them. Early paperwork can limit your rights against parties you may not yet know were involved.
What does it cost to talk to a lawyer?
The first consultation is free and confidential, and we are paid only if we recover compensation for you.
Serving Forklift and Crane Accident Clients Across King County
We represent injured workers and families throughout King County, from the construction corridors of Seattle and Bellevue to the warehouse and industrial districts of Kent and Renton. Our team also serves clients in Issaquah, Sammamish, Redmond, and Kirkland on the Eastside, and across the greater Seattle and Puget Sound region. Whether the incident happened at a downtown high-rise site, a distribution center off I-5 or I-405, or a yard near I-90, we can investigate where the equipment was, who controlled the site, and who answers for the harm.
Talk With a King County Forklift and Crane Accident Lawyer
If you or someone in your family was hurt or killed in a forklift or crane accident, call or text Injury Law Group NW for a free, confidential consultation with a King County forklift and crane accident lawyer. We will listen to what happened, explain who may be responsible, and move quickly to preserve the evidence. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you. We give hope. We get results.
