San Diego Heavy Equipment Accident Lawyers

Accidents involving heavy equipment can cause devastating life-limiting injuries and death, and the proper investigation into such accidents is the first step to understanding whether the law can provide a full measure of justice for you damages. The San Diego heavy equipment accident lawyers at the Walton Law Firm are here to help.

Types of Heavy Equipment

There are, of course, a number of different machines that qualify as “heavy equipment,” but in the injury world a few stand out. These machines are typically used on construction sites and warehouses, and usually weigh more than a ton. These machines include, but are not limited to:

• Cranes (truck mounted, rough-terrain, crawler, and floating)
• Backhoes
• Bulldozers
• Forklifts (lifts of all types)
• Cement trucks
• Excavators
• Loaders
• Paving Machines
• Dump Trucks
• Trenchers
• Compactors
• Graders
• Telehandlers
• Pile Driving Machines
• Concrete Pumps

Generally speaking, any piece of construction-related machinery that requires a license or certification to operate would qualify as heavy equipment.

Common Injuries from Heavy Equipment Accidents

Because of the size of these machines, and their moving parts, the injuries caused by these accidents can be catastrophic. Sometimes it is the operator that is injured, but more frequently it is a co-worker or a bystander. Some of the injuries our San Diego heavy equipment accident attorneys see are:

• Amputation
• Broken limbs or other fractures
• Traumatic brain injury
• Disfigurement
• Spinal Injury / Paralysis
• Death

Worker’s Compensation versus Third-Party Liability

In California, a person who is injured on the job must use the worker’s compensation system to see a monetary recovery unless, the employer did not maintain worker’s compensation insurance or the injury was caused, in whole or part, by a “third-party.”

What is a “Third Party”?

In the context of a heavy equipment accident, a third party is some person or entity, who is not the injured person’s employer, who can be fairly blamed for contributing to the injury-producing accident. There are countless scenarios how this my come up, but here are a few:

• If the bystander injured is not employed by the company in control of the heavy equipment, the bystander could sue the company.
• The heavy equipment causes injury after a malfunction that was being maintained or repaired by a third-party company.
• The machinery was manufactured or designed in a way that made it dangerous when it was being used.

It is not uncommon for a third-party to be discovered only after a deep investigation into the accident, including all accident reports that might be generated, including any report from OSHA, who typically must be called after any serious industrial accident.

Let the Heavy Equipment Accident Lawyers at Walton Law Firm Help

A personal injury case involving heavy equipment can be difficult and expensive. At Walton Law Firm, we have the resources and the experience to investigate and litigate San Diego industrial injury cases involving heavy equipment machinery. We can take all the stress away from the injured individual (and their families) so they can focus on healing, and we can focus on justice.

If you have any questions about an injury case involving heavy equipment, call the injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm for a free consultation. We are always happy to help.

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