Ford vs Forklift: Determining Negligence In A Road Accident Situation

A section of road you travel on frequently to and from home, to which you know every bump, turn and stop along the way, almost became the spot of yours and your children’s demise. The emergency first responders called it a miracle that no one was critically injured or killed.

You are driving your Ford F-150 pick up heading home. You have one child in their car seat in the back seat and the other child firmly secure with a shoulder strap type seat belt up front. The sun is glaring down interfering with your peripheral vision. In the split second you regain the focus of your vision it’s too late to react. Danger is imminent.

A Pettibone fork lift carrying a 54 foot long piece of steel travels across the road in between manufacturing shops, and was not something you expected to be there. In that freeze frame moment you heard and felt the glass of your vehicle windshield shatter, the metal of your vehicle crumple and the screams of your children as the long piece of steel impaled your vehicle.

The steel piece had penetrated the front corner of the passenger side window. The steel piece then continued to be pushed into the truck cab between you and your child sitting in the front seat. It then crossed diagonally out the rear corner of the driver’s side missing your other child by a mere half an inch. But the force of the steel impeding into your Ford F-150 caused your vehicle to then veer into a retaining wall smashing the front end of your truck and causing the rest of the windows to shatter and rain shards of glass onto you and your kids.

You and your children were bruised, battered, cut up and had some broken bones but you were all alive.

So why do I share this scenario with you?

I share it to give you an insight into road accident situations and how even a split second can alter the course of your history. Could the accident have been prevented? The manufacturer of that 54 foot steel beam could have sent a few employees out to block the road until the forklift crossed the street, thus preventing the accident. They didn’t, why? Well, evidently in the many years this steel manufacturer was situated in two buildings across from each other they have always just moved pieces back and forth using a big motorized forklift. Never once did they believe an accident would ever occur.

Now you might be wondering if the steel manufacturer is ultimately responsible for the damage caused to the vehicle and the subsequent medical expenses that occurred as the result of the accident. Well, we know how the accident happened. We know the outcome of the accident. We know who was involved. But is it enough? You might think this is a clear cut case. And it might be. But there’s always more to it. And as lawyers who represent the injured party we look at everything.

As soon as we are retained, our legal team begins working to establish liability on the part of the driver responsible for the crash. This includes interviewing witnesses, analyzing the crash scene, and on occasion hiring experts to prove the accident was caused by the negligence, recklessness, or carelessness of the other driver.

If you have been in any kind of a car accident caused by the negligence of someone else, and were injured or sustained property damage in a car crash in Merrillville, Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Highland, Portage, Valparaiso, or in Lake or Porter County, or any part of northwest Indiana contact our firm for help. We put our experience and resources to work for car crash injury victims throughout northwest Indiana with one object in mind: to maximize your compensation.

We are committed to providing high quality legal service which includes an uncompromising pursuit of our client’s legal interests, while being accessible and attentive to our clients during times of personal challenge. We understand that auto accidents also bring emotional stress over how to pay medical bills and replace damaged property. We are devoted to serving our clients by assisting them in dealing with their auto insurance company, their health insurance carrier, and the other driver’s insurance company. If a prompt settlement cannot be negotiated we promptly file suit to recover compensation for not only physical and emotional injuries, but medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.

The Law Offices of David W. Holub, P.C., strive to represent each client aggressively and to obtain prompt and favorable results. We not only aggressively pursue our client’s best interests, but we remain accessible and attentive to our client’s needs. Call (219)736-9700 today.