While many utility, construction, and labor companies use bucket trucks, these vehicles can be dangerous for workers and passersby, especially when bucket truck operators fail to follow safety protocols.
If you’ve suffered injuries in a bucket truck accident in Florence, Alabama, you may have the right to seek compensation for your losses. The bucket truck accident attorneys from Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., want to help you pursue the financial relief you need to treat your injuries and put your life back on track.
Contact us today for a free initial case evaluation to discuss your legal options with one of our bucket truck accident attorneys in Florence, AL.
What Are Bucket Trucks?
A bucket truck is a type of work vehicle with a platform or bucket attached to a hydraulic boom that can lift the bucket to places too high up for ladders to reach, such as tall trees or utility poles. The boom attaches to the back of a heavy-duty truck or a purpose-built commercial vehicle.
Bucket trucks go by other names, including cherry pickers, basket cranes, man lifts, aerial lifts, or boom lifts. Companies often use bucket trucks to repair utility lines or street lamps, trim trees, pick fruit, and clean windows or building exteriors.
Who Uses Bucket Trucks?
Different kinds of companies may use bucket trucks in the course of their work, including:
- Utility companies
- Local and state transportation departments
- Landscaping and tree-trimming companies
- Farms that produce tree-grown fruit
- Construction companies
- Painting companies
- Window and building exterior cleaning companies
Equipment rental companies also rent out bucket trucks to individuals for personal use.
Common Types of Bucket Truck Accidents
Bucket trucks are powerful pieces of equipment that can cause serious accidents. Some of the most common kinds of accidents involving bucket trucks include:
- Electrocution – A person inside a bucket can get electrocuted if the bucket or boom touches a live power line. People on the ground operating the controls of a bucket truck may also suffer electrocution if the boom or bucket contacts a power line.
- Falling out of the bucket – A person can fall out of a raised-up bucket, especially if the bucket does not come with a harness or other fall-prevention equipment.
- Falling objects – Someone working in a bucket may accidentally drop things, potentially injuring people underneath.
- Boom collapse – A worker inside a bucket may suffer injuries if the bucket truck’s hydraulics fail and cause the boom to crash to the ground.
- Vehicle tip-over – A bucket truck parked on uneven ground can tip over without leveling legs, especially if the boom extends too far outside the truck’s center of gravity. A tip-over may cause the person inside the bucket to fall out or suffer injuries when the bucket hits the ground, or the vehicle may collapse on nearby individuals.
What Are the Factors That Cause Bucket Truck Accidents?
Safely using a bucket truck requires training, experience, and attention to detail. Common causes of bucket truck accidents in Florence include:
- Lack of training on proper operation of the bucket truck
- Failing to keep the bucket and boom clear of power or utility lines, or other obstacles
- Parking the truck on uneven ground and failing to use leveling legs
- Not having fall-prevention equipment inside the bucket
- Exceeding the boom’s load limit
- Not moving the bucket close enough to a worksite to avoid the need to reach far out of the bucket
- Moving the bucket or boom far outside the truck’s center of gravity
- Inadequate maintenance of the truck, especially the hydraulic system
- Design or manufacturing defects
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Bucket Truck Accident Lawyer in Florence?
If you’ve been injured in a bucket truck accident, you may need compensation for your medical bills and other related losses. When you hire a Florence truck accident lawyer from Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., you can focus on healing from your injuries while we aggressively advocate for your rights.
Our bucket truck accident lawyers are prepared to handle all the details of pursuing your legal claims, including:
- Investigating the causes of the accident to identify liable parties and secure evidence to support your claim
- Evaluating your legal options for obtaining compensation
- Documenting your injuries and calculating your ongoing and future expenses to help you pursue maximum compensation
- Communicating with insurance adjusters, company representatives, and defense lawyers on your behalf
- Aggressively negotiating for a full and fair settlement of your claims or going to court and trial to demand compensation for you
- Fighting for you at trial if a fair settlement is impossible
Who Is Liable for a Bucket Truck Accident?
Depending on the circumstances, a few examples of parties who might be responsible for injuries you’ve suffered in a bucket truck accident include:
- Your employer, depending on whether workers’ compensation benefits are available
- The company operating the bucket truck, such as a utility company or contractor
- An equipment rental company that rented out a negligently maintained bucket truck
- The bucket truck’s manufacturer, who may be liable for an accident caused by a design or manufacturing defect
What Should I Do If I Am Injured in a Bucket Truck Accident?
If you’ve suffered an injury in a bucket truck accident, you can take steps to protect your legal rights. You should do the following:
- Seek immediate medical attention to identify and treat injuries you suffered in the accident.
- Report the accident to your employer if it occurred at work.
- Follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations.
- Keep copies of bills, invoices, and receipts of expenses you incur due to your injuries.
- Gather copies of your pay stubs if you miss time from work while recovering from your injuries.
- Contact our Florence bucket truck accident attorneys to discuss your legal options for pursuing financial compensation for your injuries and losses.
Compensation for Accidents in Bucket Trucks
After a bucket truck accident, you may have the right to seek compensation for your injuries, depending on the circumstances of the accident. You could seek money for:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
- Costs of long-term care or support you need for permanent disabilities, such as home health services, housekeeping, or disability accommodations
- Past and future loss of income if you cannot work in your pre-accident job due to your injuries
- Pain and suffering, including reduced quality of life from disabilities or visible scarring and disfigurement
Contact a Bucket Truck Accident Lawyer
If you’ve sustained injuries in a bucket truck accident in Florence, you may have the right to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other harm you’ve suffered. Contact Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., today for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our bucket truck accident lawyers.
