A delivery worker in Essex County had his leg crushed by a runaway forklift which settled out of court for $850,000.
The plaintiff, Marcos Sanchez-Oronzor of Newark, sued United Same Day Delivery for his injuries. According to the plaintiff's counsel, Sanchez-Oronzor was employed by A&B Transport who had a contract with United Same Day Delivery to deliver packages. While unloading packages at the Robbinsville facility he was struck by a forklift which rolled down the ramp from the loading dock. The forklift operator, who worked for Same Day, had been using the forklift to remove a pallet from a truck when the pallet got caught on something. When he got off the forklift to free the pallet, the forklift began rolling down the ramp striking Sanchez-Oronzor in the leg.
It turned out that the forklift operator had previously been certified to operate a forklift but that certification had expired at the time of the incident. Forklift training dictates the handbrake be used prior to getting off which the operator failed to do.
Sanchez-Oronzor had crush injuries to his lower right leg causing a femur fracture with degloving which required hospitalization and two surgeries.
