Cleveland Personal Injury Law Blog

The recent death of a forklift operator in a workplace accident in the Fuyao plant underscored the increased occupational fatality rate in Ohio. Although some suggest that the improved economy causes fatigue, stress and overexertion, ultimately leading to fatalities, safety authorities say compliance with regulations can prevent most workplace deaths. No family is prepared for the news of a loved one's death due to an on-the-job accident. However, their unanticipated financial burden can be eased by the workers' compensation insurance system.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 164 Ohio workers lost their lives in workplace accidents in 2016. The official numbers for 2017 are not yet available. Sadly, a tree service worker died in April after a front-end loader struck him. The next month, an employee of a freight company fell to his death from where he was on top of a load being raised by a lift truck.

We may be heading down the road toward autonomous vehicles being a fact of everyday life, but a recent crash that caused a fatality may make that road longer than expected.

Safety and consumer groups are split on the benefits of autonomous cars, but despite the recent tragedy, advocates believe they will eventually eliminate highway deaths.

One of the primary hazards in the manufacturing and warehousing industries is the presence of forklifts. These mechanized lift trucks pose a danger to those who operate them and any other workers in the vicinity. A significant number of workers' compensation claims nationwide, including Ohio, follow forklift-related injuries, some of which prove to be fatal.

A 57-year-old employee of Fuyao Glass America Inc. recently lost his life in a tragic accident at the plant of the glass manufacturer. According to police records, a 911 call came in just after 5 a.m. on a Tuesday, reporting an emergency. Reportedly, the caller came upon a co-worker who was trapped by a pallet-load of glass weighing over 2,000 pounds.

It seems like everyone is excited about the advent of automated, computer controlled cars with "auto-pilot" features. The theory is that these cars will reduce accidents caused by human error. In particular, drunk driving accidents are theoretically going to disappear from our roads, because anyone who has had too much to drink can simply set the car on auto-pilot and avoid the risks associated with drunk driving.

As the future of driving looks to be increasingly technological and automated, some serious legal questions arise. The primary question, of course, is: Who is responsible for accidents involving automated cars?