Front End Loader Tears Roof Off of a Car, Injuring Plaintiff’s Head

This case involves an injury to the plaintiff and harm done to the roofing of the plaintiff’s car. The plaintiff, a middle-aged man, was a passenger in a car traveling on a two-way rural road, which was not designated as a construction road. A slow-moving front loader construction vehicle made a turn into the plaintiff, whereby the bucket of the front-end loader was high enough to tear the roof off the car and strike the plaintiff in the head, which gave him a serious head injury.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Are you familiar with these types of safety issues?

2. Are you familiar with a front loader construction vehicle?

3. Should a bucket be carrying that high when making a turn?

4. Can you determine whether this was operator error or a design issue?

Expert Witness Response E-000806

Based on the facts provided, it appears that he was traveling with his bucket too high, which would be an operating error. I had hands-on experience, operating a front end loader for eight years. I am currently a safety science faculty member at a university, with my own safety consulting business, and I am very familiar with the safety procedures that most construction vehicles must abide by.