PERSONAL INJURY: U.S. District Court jury awards $5.3 million in product liability claim involving forklift

The plaintiff’s leg was crushed and subsequently amputated as a result of a workplace forklift accident.  The forklift reportedly malfunctioned and had a history of getting caught on objects, allegedly due to the lifting part of the machine being wider than the platform on which the driver stood.  The plaintiff’s leg allegedly got caught between the forklift and a shelving unit or a pallet, and was crushed.

The defendants claimed that the plaintiff had exited the driving compartment on her own and negligently turned the device into the shelving, crushing her body in the process.

The plaintiff was awarded $4 million in non-economic damages and $1.27 million in economic damages.

Wasilewski v. Abel Womack, Inc.