Forklift Accident Lawyer in Midland, Texas

West Texas Forklift Injury Attorneys Who Know How Insurers Work

Midland sits at the center of the Permian Basin, where oilfield sites, warehouses, and distribution operations run around the clock, and forklifts move through tight quarters every shift. When something goes wrong on one of those worksites, the injuries are rarely minor. At Hanna Allen, PLLC, we represent injured workers and their families in Midland and across West Texas, and we’ve been doing it for over 25 years. Our founders spent years on the other side of these claims, representing insurance companies. That background gives us a direct view into how insurers evaluate forklift accident cases and where they look to cut compensation.

We’ve recovered multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements in serious cases, including wrongful death and life-altering injuries. The oilfield workers, truck drivers, and working families who come to us get treated with the same respect we’d want for ourselves.

If you or a family member was hurt in a forklift accident in the Midland area, call Hanna Allen, PLLC at (432) 220-3331. We’re available day and night, and there’s no cost to talk.

How Forklift Accidents Happen & the Injuries They Cause

OSHA estimates between 35,000 and 62,000 forklift-related injuries occur in the United States every year. Tip-overs alone account for roughly 42% of forklift fatalities, and OSHA estimates about 70% of forklift accidents could be prevented with more consistent operator training. These aren’t freak events. They follow recognizable patterns.

Common causes include:

• Operating on uneven or unstable surfaces common to oilfield and industrial sites
• Overloading the machine beyond its rated capacity
• Taking turns at speed, which raises tip-over risk significantly
• Loads that block the operator’s forward sightline
• Inadequate or lapsed operator certification
• Pedestrians working in shared travel lanes without adequate separation

OSHA requires forklift operators to be certified before operating a powered industrial truck, with performance evaluations at least once every three years and refresher training required after an accident, near-miss, or observed unsafe behavior. When employers skip that requirement, the consequences fall on the workers around them. Injuries range from crush trauma and fractures to traumatic brain injuries and fatalities.

Texas Non-Subscriber Law & Third-Party Claims

Texas is the only state that allows private employers to opt out of the workers’ compensation system entirely. Employers that opt out are called non-subscribers, and under Texas law, they forfeit several common-law defenses, including contributory negligence, assumption of the risk, and negligence of a fellow employee. That matters in a forklift accident case because a non-subscribing employer can be sued directly for negligence, and that lawsuit can include damages that standard workers’ compensation never covers, such as pain and suffering.

If your employer carries workers’ compensation, that coverage is generally your exclusive remedy against the employer. But it doesn’t close every door. Claims may still exist against outside parties whose negligence contributed to the accident: the forklift manufacturer if equipment failed, a maintenance company if a known defect went unaddressed, or a contractor responsible for site conditions. We represent clients injured by defective products as well as in oilfield and workplace accidents, and we evaluate all potential claims from the start.

Personal injury claims in Texas, including workplace negligence claims, are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations from the date of the injury. Don’t wait to find out where you stand.

Why Midland Workers & Families Choose Hanna Allen, PLLC

Insurance companies don’t send a single adjuster to handle serious forklift claims. They assign attorneys whose job is to limit what gets paid. We know that playbook because our founders ran it. That background shapes how we evaluate cases, anticipate delays, and respond to low settlement offers.

Board Certification & Courtroom Experience
Our partner Greg Allen is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Both distinctions are held by a small fraction of Texas attorneys, and they’re rare in West Texas. His courtroom experience and certification inform how we prepare every case in our office, not just the ones he tries himself.

Team-Based Case Handling
Cases here are handled by a team. Attorneys, paralegals, and case managers work together on each file, and clients work with the same familiar staff from the first call through resolution. Our senior paralegals and case managers have tenures measured in decades, which means procedural consistency and institutional memory that genuinely benefits clients. We also have bilingual staff who communicate fluently in English and Spanish, so nothing important gets lost for clients who are more comfortable in Spanish.

What to Do After a Forklift Accident in Midland

The steps taken in the days after a forklift accident can directly affect what evidence is still available. Equipment maintenance logs, operator training records, and witness statements become harder to obtain as time passes. Confirming whether your employer is a workers’ compensation subscriber or non-subscriber is one of the first things we do because that status determines what kind of claim is available and what compensation you may pursue.

We put in the hours this work requires: reviewing records thoroughly, working through the factual and legal questions that make industrial injury cases complicated, and keeping you informed in plain language throughout. If your claim results in a lawsuit, it would be filed in the Midland County District Courts. We come to court prepared, and we don’t push clients toward settlement before they’re ready.

Talk to a Midland Forklift Accident Attorney at No Cost

We work on a contingency fee. There’s no upfront cost and no legal fees unless we recover money for you. Our success is tied directly to yours.

We’re available day and night, and we’ll come to you if you’re dealing with a hospital stay or a schedule that makes an office visit difficult.

Call Hanna Allen, PLLC at (432) 220-3331 to talk through what happened and what your options are. The consultation is free, and there’s no obligation.