Forklifts, pallet jacks, order pickers, stocking equipment, loading equipment, and heavy carts are used throughout Lowe’s stores to move large products, pallets, lumber, appliances, tile, building materials, and seasonal merchandise. When that equipment is operated near customers without proper warnings, aisle closures, spotters, or separation, a routine shopping trip can turn into a serious injury claim.
A Lowe’s forklift or pallet jack accident may involve a customer being struck, pinned, knocked down, trapped, or injured by equipment, merchandise, pallets, or employee activity. These claims are different from ordinary slip-and-fall or falling merchandise cases because they often focus on employee conduct, store safety procedures, active work zones, loading practices, and whether customers were kept away from dangerous equipment operations.
If you were injured by a forklift, pallet jack, order picker, or other equipment at a Lowe’s in Florida, Datny Law can help review what happened, identify the evidence needed, and determine whether Lowe’s or another party may be responsible.
Lowe’s Forklift and Pallet Jack Accident Claims
Lowe’s stores often use equipment to move heavy products through customer areas. Forklifts, pallet jacks, carts, and lifts may be used in aisles, loading zones, garden centers, lumber departments, flooring sections, appliance areas, receiving areas, and contractor pickup spaces.
A Lowe’s equipment accident may involve:
- A forklift striking a customer
- A pallet jack hitting a customer’s foot, ankle, or leg
- Equipment backing into a shopper
- A customer being pinned between equipment and merchandise
- A pallet falling or shifting during movement
- Products falling from a forklift, pallet, rack, or cart
- Aisles not being properly closed during stocking
- Employees moving products while customers are nearby
- Loading equipment injuring a customer in a pickup area
- Contractor or vendor equipment causing an injury
- A flatbed, cart, or pallet jack rolling into a customer
- A customer tripping over equipment left in a walkway
The key issue is whether the equipment was operated, stored, loaded, or used safely around customers.
Why Lowe’s Equipment Accident Claims Are Different
A Lowe’s forklift or pallet jack claim should not be handled like a basic premises liability case. The focus is not just whether a hazard existed on the floor. These claims often involve active employee conduct and whether Lowe’s followed reasonable procedures while moving heavy merchandise.
Important questions may include:
- Was the aisle closed before equipment was used?
- Were cones, signs, or barriers placed?
- Was a spotter used?
- Were customers allowed into an active stocking area?
- Was the equipment moving forward, backing up, turning, or lifting?
- Was the employee trained to operate the equipment?
- Was the equipment maintained properly?
- Did products shift or fall during movement?
- Was the customer warned before the equipment entered the area?
- Was the injury caused by a Lowe’s employee, contractor, vendor, or delivery worker?
Because these claims often involve moving equipment and store procedures, surveillance footage and witness statements can be especially important.
Common Lowe’s Forklift Accidents
Forklifts can cause severe injuries because they are large, heavy, difficult to stop quickly, and often used around pallets, racks, and heavy products. A customer may be injured if a forklift moves through an aisle without warning, backs up near pedestrians, lifts products over or near customer areas, or causes merchandise to fall.
A Lowe’s forklift accident may involve:
- A forklift hitting a customer
- A forklift backing into a shopper
- A customer being pinned between a forklift and a shelf, pallet, or product
- A forklift causing merchandise to fall
- A pallet shifting while being moved
- A forklift operating in an aisle that was not closed
- A forklift used without a spotter where one was needed
- Customers walking through an active equipment area
- Poor communication between employees
- Forklift activity in a loading zone or contractor pickup area
These cases may require investigation into employee training, aisle closure procedures, store video, equipment condition, and whether proper warnings were used.
Pallet Jack Injuries at Lowe’s
Pallet jacks can also cause serious injuries. Even though they are smaller than forklifts, pallet jacks can carry heavy loads and may injure customers when pushed, pulled, turned, parked, or left in walkways.
A Lowe’s pallet jack injury may involve:
- A pallet jack striking a customer’s foot or ankle
- A pallet jack hitting a leg or knee
- A customer tripping over a pallet jack
- A pallet jack rolling unexpectedly
- A loaded pallet jack blocking an aisle
- Merchandise shifting from a pallet
- Employees moving pallets through customer areas
- A pallet jack used too close to shoppers
- A pallet jack left unattended in a walkway
Foot, ankle, knee, leg, and back injuries are common in pallet jack incidents because the equipment can strike low on the body or cause a customer to fall.
Order Picker and Stocking Equipment Accidents
Lowe’s may use order pickers, ladders, lifts, and other stocking equipment to retrieve or move merchandise. These activities can be dangerous if customers are not separated from the work area.
Stocking equipment claims may involve:
- Products falling during overhead retrieval
- Customers entering aisles during active stocking
- Employees failing to close off an aisle
- Lifts operating near shoppers
- Tools, boxes, or merchandise falling from height
- Equipment blocking customer pathways
- Unstable loads during product movement
- Poor communication between employees during stocking
When equipment is used above or near customers, the risk of serious injury increases. A falling product from height can cause head injuries, concussions, fractures, and back or neck injuries.
Loading Equipment and Pickup Area Injuries
Some Lowe’s equipment accidents happen outside the sales floor. Loading zones, curbside pickup areas, contractor pickup spaces, and store entrances can become hazardous when employees, customers, vehicles, carts, pallet jacks, forklifts, and heavy merchandise are moving at the same time.
A loading-related equipment injury may involve:
- A forklift or pallet jack in a loading zone
- Heavy products shifting during loading
- A customer struck by a cart or equipment
- Employee assistance that causes injury
- Contractor or vendor equipment in customer areas
- Delivery trucks operating near pedestrians
- Curbside pickup merchandise handled unsafely
- Equipment or pallets blocking walkways
These claims may involve Lowe’s, another driver, a contractor, a delivery company, a vendor, or another third party depending on who caused the injury and who controlled the area.
Can Lowe’s Be Liable for Forklift Injuries?
Lowe’s may be liable for a forklift injury if the evidence shows that an employee or store-controlled operation caused the injury through negligent equipment use, unsafe aisle control, failure to warn, lack of customer separation, improper loading, or failure to follow reasonable safety procedures.
A claim may be stronger if:
- A forklift operated near customers without closing the aisle
- No cones, barriers, or warning signs were used
- No spotter was present where one was needed
- The employee backed up without proper awareness
- Merchandise fell during forklift operation
- Customers were allowed into an active work zone
- The employee failed to warn customers
- The store ignored a known risk
- Equipment was poorly maintained
- Surveillance footage supports the injured customer’s account
The specific facts matter. A forklift injury claim should be reviewed based on how the equipment was being used and whether the store took reasonable steps to protect customers.
What If a Pallet Jack Hit Me?
If a pallet jack hit you at Lowe’s, the claim may focus on whether the equipment was operated safely, whether the employee was paying attention, whether the aisle was crowded, whether the pallet jack was loaded properly, and whether customers were warned or separated from the moving equipment.
Important questions include:
- Was the pallet jack pushed or pulled by an employee?
- Was it loaded with merchandise?
- Did the load block the employee’s view?
- Was the pallet jack moving through a customer aisle?
- Were customers warned?
- Was the aisle crowded or blocked?
- Did the pallet jack strike your foot, ankle, knee, leg, or body?
- Did the impact cause you to fall?
- Was the incident captured on video?
Pallet jack claims are often easier to evaluate when there are photos, witness statements, and video footage showing where the equipment was located and how it moved.
Are Employees Required to Block Off Aisles?
Whether an aisle should be blocked off depends on the type of equipment, the work being performed, the risk to customers, store procedures, and the circumstances. However, when employees are moving heavy products, using forklifts, retrieving overhead merchandise, or creating an active work zone, customer separation can become an important safety issue.
Evidence may include:
- Aisle closure signs
- Cones or barriers
- Employee procedures
- Store safety policies
- Video footage
- Witness statements
- Whether customers were allowed through the area
- Whether a spotter or second employee was present
- Whether employees warned customers before moving products
If Lowe’s failed to block off an aisle or warn customers during equipment use, that may support the claim.
Who Else May Be Responsible?
Not every equipment accident is caused only by Lowe’s. Depending on the facts, other parties may need to be evaluated.
Potentially responsible parties may include:
- Lowe’s
- A Lowe’s employee
- A contractor
- A vendor
- A delivery driver or delivery company
- A maintenance contractor
- A property owner or manager
- The equipment manufacturer
- A repair company
- Another customer
For example, if a vendor was moving a pallet and struck a customer, the vendor may be responsible. If equipment malfunctioned, a maintenance company or manufacturer may need to be reviewed. If Lowe’s controlled the area and allowed unsafe equipment activity near customers, Lowe’s may still be part of the claim.
Evidence That Can Help Prove a Lowe’s Equipment Accident Claim
Forklift and pallet jack claims are often evidence-heavy. Because equipment moves quickly and store conditions can change, early documentation matters.
Helpful evidence may include:
- Store surveillance footage
- Incident report
- Photos of the equipment
- Photos of the aisle or loading area
- Witness statements
- Employee names or descriptions
- Aisle closure signs or lack of signs
- Cones, barriers, or warning signs
- Product or pallet photos
- Equipment maintenance records
- Store safety policies
- Training records where available
- Contractor or vendor information
- Police report, if applicable
- Medical records
- Medical bills
- Photos of injuries
- Proof of lost wages
- Claim number and adjuster communications
Video footage may be especially important because it can show how the equipment moved, whether customers were nearby, whether the aisle was blocked off, and whether employees gave warnings.
What To Do After a Forklift or Pallet Jack Accident at Lowe’s
If you were injured by a forklift, pallet jack, order picker, cart, or loading equipment at Lowe’s, take these steps if you are physically able:
- Get medical help if needed.
- Report the incident to Lowe’s before leaving.
- Ask for an incident report.
- Take photos of the equipment involved.
- Photograph the aisle, loading area, product, pallet, cones, signs, or barriers.
- Get names and contact information for witnesses.
- Write down employee names or descriptions.
- Note whether the aisle was blocked off.
- Note whether warning signs, cones, or spotters were present.
- Save receipts or proof you were at the store.
- Get medical care as soon as possible.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement without legal guidance.
- Contact a lawyer before video footage disappears.
These cases can change quickly because equipment is moved, products are restacked, and employees return to work. Evidence preservation should happen as early as possible.
Common Injuries From Lowe’s Forklift and Pallet Jack Accidents
Equipment-related injuries can be severe because forklifts, pallet jacks, carts, and loaded pallets involve weight, movement, impact, and crush risk.
Common injuries may include:
- Foot injuries
- Ankle injuries
- Knee injuries
- Leg injuries
- Hip injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Head injuries
- Concussions
- Fractures
- Crush injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Herniated discs
- Soft tissue injuries
- Aggravation of prior injuries
A customer who is struck by equipment may also fall, hit the floor, or be pinned against shelving, merchandise, or a vehicle.
How Lowe’s May Defend an Equipment Injury Claim
Lowe’s, an insurer, or another party may argue that the equipment was operated safely, that the customer entered a closed aisle, that warnings were present, that another party caused the incident, or that the injuries are unrelated.
Common defenses may include:
- The aisle was blocked off
- The customer ignored warnings
- The employee was operating equipment reasonably
- A contractor or vendor caused the injury
- The customer walked into the equipment’s path
- The equipment did not make contact
- The injury was pre-existing
- Medical treatment was unrelated
- No witnesses support the claim
- Video does not show the incident
These defenses should be evaluated against the evidence. Surveillance footage, witness statements, aisle closure signs, employee conduct, store policies, and medical records may all matter.
What Compensation May Be Available?
Depending on the facts, a Lowe’s forklift or pallet jack accident claim may seek compensation for:
- Emergency medical care
- Doctor visits
- Diagnostic testing
- Physical therapy
- Surgery
- Medication
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Physical limitations
- Permanent impairment
- Loss of mobility
- Out-of-pocket expenses
The value of the claim depends on liability, injury severity, medical documentation, future treatment needs, available insurance, and how the injury affects daily life.
How Datny Law Can Help
Datny Law helps injured customers evaluate Lowe’s forklift, pallet jack, order picker, stocking equipment, and loading equipment claims in Florida.
Our team can help by:
- Reviewing how the equipment injury happened
- Identifying whether Lowe’s employees, vendors, contractors, or delivery drivers were involved
- Requesting preservation of surveillance footage and store records
- Reviewing incident reports and witness information
- Evaluating aisle closures, warning signs, cones, barriers, and store procedures
- Investigating whether customer separation was handled properly
- Reviewing medical records and damages
- Communicating with claims representatives
- Preparing the claim for settlement negotiations or litigation if needed
Equipment accident claims often depend on details that can disappear quickly. Early legal review can help preserve evidence before it is lost.
Speak With a Lowe’s Forklift and Pallet Jack Accident Lawyer
If you were injured by a forklift, pallet jack, order picker, stocking equipment, cart, or loading equipment at Lowe’s in Florida, Datny Law can review your claim and explain your options.
Whether the incident involved employee equipment negligence, unsafe aisle closures, failure to warn, loading equipment, product movement, or contractor/vendor activity, legal guidance can help you understand what evidence matters and what steps to take next.
Contact Datny Law today to discuss your Lowe’s forklift or pallet jack accident claim.
FAQs
Can Lowe’s be liable for forklift injuries?
Yes. Lowe’s may be liable if a forklift injury was caused by negligent operation, failure to close or block an aisle, lack of warning, poor customer separation, unsafe product movement, employee negligence, or another unsafe store condition.
What if a pallet jack hit me?
You may have a claim if a pallet jack struck you because it was operated unsafely, moved through a customer area without warning, carried a load that blocked visibility, or was left where customers could trip or be injured.
Are employees required to block off aisles?
Whether an aisle must be blocked depends on the equipment, task, store procedures, and risk to customers. If employees were using forklifts, order pickers, or moving heavy products, cones, barriers, signs, spotters, or aisle closures may become important evidence.
Who else may be responsible?
Depending on the facts, responsible parties may include Lowe’s, an employee, contractor, vendor, delivery driver, equipment maintenance company, product manufacturer, property owner, or another customer.
What evidence helps a forklift or pallet jack claim?
Helpful evidence may include surveillance footage, incident reports, witness statements, employee names, aisle closure signs, cones, barriers, store policies, equipment photos, medical records, and claim communications.
What if Lowe’s says the aisle was closed?
That should be checked against the evidence. Photos, witness statements, video footage, signs, cones, barriers, and employee statements may help determine whether the aisle was actually closed and whether customers were adequately warned.
Can I bring a claim if a vendor or contractor hit me with equipment?
Possibly. If a vendor or contractor caused the injury, that party may be responsible. Lowe’s may also need to be evaluated if it controlled the area or allowed unsafe equipment activity near customers.
What injuries are common in Lowe’s equipment accidents?
Common injuries include foot injuries, ankle injuries, knee injuries, leg injuries, back injuries, neck injuries, shoulder injuries, head injuries, fractures, crush injuries, and concussions.
Should I report the accident before leaving Lowe’s?
Yes. Report the incident before leaving if you are able and ask for an incident report. Also document the equipment involved, aisle location, employees, witnesses, and whether warning signs or barriers were present.
How soon should I contact a lawyer?
You should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Video footage may be overwritten, equipment may be moved, products may be restacked, and witnesses may become harder to locate.