A worker at a paper distribution company in Florence NJ sustained significant physical injuries in a work-related accident.
The construction accident occurred early in the morning, around 8:30 a.m., at International Paper.
The paper distributor is located at 1500 John Galt Way in Florence, New Jersey. The victim is a 56-year-old man who resides in Delran NJ and who is employed as a forklift operator at the Florence NJ paper company.
Just before the accident occurred, the victim was operating a forklift and attempting to connect the back-end of a tractor-trailer to its cab. Something went horribly wrong, resulting in the victim being pinned between heavy equipment.
After the accident, the victim’s co-workers dialed 911 and notified the Florence Police Department. Emergency medical responders were dispatched to the business, where they briefly treated the victim and then transported him to the trauma center of a local emergency room. Doctors at the hospital provided further medical treatment to the victim. He was later listed in serious condition but was expected to survive his accident-related injuries.
Local law enforcement is conducting an investigation into the accident as they attempt to determine exactly how the victim sustained his injuries. It is not known at this time whether International Paper is conducting its own internal investigation into the forklift accident.
Depending on the findings of investigators as to the precise sequence of events leading up to the construction accident, it is possible that the victim may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim with his employer.
If the construction accident was caused by a defective part on the forklift, the victim could potentially file a product liability lawsuit against a third party, such as the forklift manufacturer. The ability to pursue damages from a third party is often necessary in order to get full compensation for injuries in cases like this because New Jersey places a cap on the amount of damages that an injured worker can receive through workers’ compensation.
For additional information, check out the following article: Forklift operator injured when pinned by tractor-trailer