PITTSBURGH – A local man alleges he suffered extensive injuries throughout his body in a forklift accident at work nearly two years ago, due to supposed negligence on the part of the driver of a nearby truck.
Karl A. Harris of Avalon filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on June 15 versus Gary Henderson of Pittsburgh and Rose Transportation, Inc. of Pitcairn.
“On July 6, 2021, plaintiff was operating a forklift for his employer in order to load supplies into a truck owned, operated, leased, and/or rented by defendant Rose Transportation, and operated by defendant Henderson. As plaintiff began to drive the forklift into the truck, defendant Henderson, who was seated in the driver seat of the waiting truck, and without giving plaintiff any prior warning or notification, pulled the truck forward, causing plaintiff's forklift to fall forward, along with plaintiff,” the suit says.
“Plaintiff and the forklift fell violently to the ground, approximately four feet, causing plaintiff to strike the front of his head against the forklift’s steering wheel. Plaintiff’s coworker then transported him to the emergency room, where he was treated for his severe injuries.”
The suit adds that the plaintiff suffered a large hematoma on his forehead, neck pain that did not exist prior to the injury, numbness in the fingers of both hands, cervical strain, bruises, contusions, and other injuries about the nerves, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, tissues, and vessels of the body and nervousness, emotional tension, anxiety, and depression.”
“Defendant Henderson knew, or should have known, that plaintiff was in the process of loading, with a forklift, the semi-tractor trailer of which defendant Henderson had full control. Defendant Henderson, however, neglected to realize that plaintiff was partially in the semi-tractor trailer, nor did defendant Henderson inspect or observe the area behind the semi-tractor trailer to ensure that plaintiff was not back there,” the suit states.
“Defendant Henderson, while in the course and scope of his employment, negligently and carelessly pulled the semi-tractor trailer out of the loading dock area, while plaintiff was partially in the truck’s trailer loading supplies.”
For counts of negligence and loss of consortium, the plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages in excess of the jurisdictional limits of compulsory arbitration, together with court costs, interest and all other relief permitted by this Court.
The plaintiff is represented by Brian S. Anderson of Friday & Cox, in Pittsburgh.
The defendants have not yet obtained legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-007511
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com