How Many Forklift Accidents Happen Every Year? The Numbers Illinois Warehouse Workers Should Know
At warehouses or factories, forklifts are essential equipment. But when a forklift overturns, strikes a worker, drops a load, or operates in an unsafe area, the consequences can be devastating.
So how many forklift deaths per year occur and what does that mean for the workers operating this equipment across Illinois warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants every day?
As per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, forklifts were tied to 84 work-related deaths nationwide in 2024, along with roughly 25,110 nonfatal injuries serious enough to require days away from work, restricted duty, or a job transfer between 2023 and 2024, as reported by the National Safety Council.
For Illinois warehouse employees, being able to interpret these statistics is just part of the equation. What is equally important is knowing the causes of forklift accidents, the responsibilities of the employer, and possible courses of action after a work-related injury.
National Forklift Accident Numbers: How Many Forklift Deaths Does the Government Report?
Forklift accident statistics in Illinois include fatalities from forklift accidents. The Federal government fatality statistics indicate that forklift deaths have been consistent between 76 to 94 age group with 2024 having 84 deaths. These statistics include operators, pedestrians, and even bystanders who have been involved in forklift-related fatalities.
Forklifts fall under a broader BLS category called “transportation and material moving,” which recorded the highest fatality total of any occupational group in the country, 1,391 deaths in 2024 alone. Forklifts are only one piece of that larger picture, but they remain one of the most consistent sources of preventable warehuse deaths.
Forklift fatalities can involve operators, pedestrians, warehouse workers, loading dock employees, and other people working around powered industrial trucks.
How Many Forklift Injuries Happen Each Year?
Fatalities are only one part of the danger. OSHA’s latest severe injury report identified 5,186 severe injuries involving forklifts from 2015 through 2024, which equals approximately nine severe forklift injuries per week during that period.
The figure comes from OSHA’s Severe Injury Reports and should not be interpreted as the total number of all forklift injuries in the United States. It represents severe injuries reported to federal OSHA under its reporting requirements.
A forklift accident can result in broken bones, crushing injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, amputations, and other serious harm. Some injuries can require extensive medical treatment and prevent an employee from returning to the same job. In such cases, you can contact a forklift accident attorney.
What Causes Forklift Deaths and Injuries?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has consistently identified forklift overturns as the single leading cause of forklift fatalities, accounting for roughly 25 percent of all forklift-related deaths. A worker is often crushed after the vehicle tips and the operator either fails to stay inside the operator compartment or is caught underneath the overhead guard.
Other recurring causes documented by OSHA and NIOSH include:
- Pedestrians struck while walking through active forklift zones
- Workers crushed between the forklift and a fixed structure
- Falling loads that were not properly secured or stacked
- Falls from elevated platforms or pallets improperly used as lifts
You can know in-depth about common causes of forklift accidents to understand how training gaps, supervision failures, and site conditions contribute to these incidents.
Does Forklift Training Prevent Workplace Accidents?
Proper training is one of the safeguards OSHA requires for powered industrial truck operators. Employers must ensure that operators receive appropriate training and evaluation before operating covered equipment.
OSHA also requires employers to evaluate each operator’s performance at least once every three years. Refresher training is required in certain circumstances, including when an operator is involved in an accident or near miss, operates a vehicle unsafely, or encounters workplace conditions that could affect safe operation.
Training records can therefore become important evidence after a forklift accident. Investigators may need to determine what training an operator received, when the operator was evaluated, and whether the employer responded appropriately to previous safety concerns.
What Should an Illinois Worker Do After a Forklift Accident?
After a forklift accident, an injured worker should seek appropriate medical attention and report the workplace injury according to the employer’s procedures. It is also important to preserve information about the accident, including photographs, witness names, medical records, and accident reports when available.
A prompt investigation can also matter because evidence may disappear. Surveillance footage can be overwritten, equipment can be repaired or moved, and witnesses may forget important details.
What Legal Options Do Injured Illinois Workers Have?
An injured worker’s first path to compensation is usually a workers’ compensation claim, which can cover medical bills and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault.
If you were injured in a forklift accident, getting legal advice can help you understand your rights before making decisions about your claim. Contact our Illinois work injury lawyers to discuss your workplace injury and learn about a fatal forklift accident claim.
FAQs
Forklift overturns are the leading cause, accounting for roughly a quarter of all forklift-related deaths according to OSHA. Most of these deaths occur when an operator is crushed after the vehicle tips over.
Both groups are at serious risk. OSHA data shows a substantial share of forklift fatalities involve workers on foot who were struck rather than the person operating the equipment.
Report the incident immediately, seek medical treatment, and document the scene if possible. Speaking with an attorney early can help protect your right to workers’ compensation benefits or a third-party claim before deadlines pass.
Forklift accidents can cause crushing injuries, fractures, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and other serious injuries. The type and severity of an injury often depend on whether the worker was operating the forklift, struck by it, or injured by a falling load.
Legally Reviewed By
Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld
Content legally reviewed by Jonathan Rosenfeld The information on this page has been legally reviewed by Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld, founder and managing partner of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC. With extensive experience representing injured workers across Illinois, Mr. Rosenfeld is dedicated to helping workplace accident victims pursue the maximum compensation available under the law. His extensive legal knowledge and commitment to client advocacy ensure that the information provided is accurate, reliable, and aligned with current legal standards.