I was hurt as a temp or through a staffing agency. Am I still covered?

Yes. Temporary and staffing-agency workers are generally covered by Ohio Workers' Comp for an on-the-job injury. Sorting out which employer's coverage applies can get complicated, and in some cases the company where you worked may also be a third party you can pursue. We untangle it for you.

What if my employer says I broke a safety rule or caused the accident?

You are still covered. Ohio Workers' Comp is no-fault, so your own mistake does not bar your claim. And if the accident happened because a required machine guard or safety rule was missing, that can actually support a VSSR award on top of your benefits.

Can my employer fire me for filing an industrial accident claim?

No. Ohio law protects you from being fired or punished for filing a Workers' Comp claim in good faith. If your employer retaliates after your injury, you may have a separate claim against them. Do not let fear of losing your job stop you from getting the benefits you are owed.

Who pays my medical bills while my claim is being decided?

Once your claim is allowed, Workers' Comp covers the treatment your injury needs, including care you already received. While the claim is pending, bills may go to you or your health insurance, but those costs are usually sorted out once the claim is approved. We work to get your claim allowed quickly so your treatment is covered.

How long do I have to file after a workplace machine accident in Ohio?

You generally have one year from the date of the accident to file your Workers' Comp claim. It is wise to act quickly, because the evidence that proves a safety violation or a defective machine can disappear.

What should I do first after a forklift or machine accident?

Get emergency medical care, report the accident to your employer, and if you safely can, make sure the equipment is not repaired or discarded. Save photos and witness names, then file your BWC claim and talk to a lawyer.

How do I file a Workers' Compensation claim in Ohio?

A workers' comp claim in Ohio is filed using the First Report of Injury (FROI) form. The first doctor you see typically files it on your behalf, if you say the injury happened at work, but you can also file it directly with BWC. Make sure every injury, body part, and condition is listed, adding allowed conditions later is harder than including them at the start.

How long do I have to file a Workers' Compensation claim?

Under Ohio Revised Code 4123.84, you generally have one year from the date of injury to file a workers' comp claim with the BWC.

How long does an employer have to hold a job for someone on Workers' Comp?

They will hold the job as long as the employer-employee contract says. Otherwise, they won’t fire you unless they have good reason, because without good reason, the termination may appear to be discriminatory, due to the WC claim. In the discimintory situation, the employer exposes themselves to a dscimination claim against them.

What if my Workers' Compensation claim is denied?

A denial isn't the end. Most appeals go through two administrative hearings: first before a District Hearing Officer (DHO), then before a Staff Hearing Officer (SHO), with a 14-day deadline to appeal at each level. If your claim is denied at both, the next step is filing in the Court of Common Pleas and taking your case to trial before a jury.

Do I need a lawyer for a Workers' Comp claim in Ohio?

You're not required to hire a lawyer to file a BWC claim, but you'll almost always want one if your claim is denied, your TTD is being cut off, you're being pushed to MMI early, or your employer is contesting any part of the claim. The consultation is free, so you can find out before you commit.

Home / Practice Areas / Workers' Compensation / Industrial Accidents

Ohio Industrial
Accident Lawyers

If a machine, forklift, or piece of equipment hurt you at work in Ohio, you are covered by Workers' Comp, and you may be owed even more.

Call 1-800-573-9503

Ohio industrial accident lawyer meeting a worker hurt by machinery

Since 1953

Family-Owned Firm

$100M+

Recovered for Ohio Workers

3 Generations

of Knisley Attorneys

No Fees

Unless We Win

Are Industrial and Machine Accidents Covered
by Ohio Workers' Comp?

If machinery, a forklift, or equipment injured you on the job in Ohio, your injury is covered by Workers' Compensation, no matter who was at fault. Ohio is a no-fault Workers' Comp state.

You do not need to prove anyone was careless to have a claim. If you were hurt in the course of your job, your medical care and part of your lost wages are covered from the start.

What makes an industrial accident different from most work injuries is that it often opens a second door. When a machine was unguarded, a safety rule was broken, or a defective piece of equipment failed, you may be owed far more than a basic claim pays. We cover both paths below. First, know this: your Workers' Comp claim is yours regardless of who caused the accident.

Common Industrial and Machine Accidents at Work

The most common industrial accidents are caught-in and caught-between injuries, crush injuries, forklift accidents, machine-guarding failures, and power-tool injuries. Each can be severe enough to keep an Ohio worker off the job for months.

Caught-in and caught-between

Crush injuries

A machine catches a hand, arm, sleeve, or glove and pulls it into moving parts. These accidents happen fast and often cause deep lacerations, broken bones, or the loss of a finger or hand.

Presses, rollers, and falling equipment can crush a hand, foot, or limb. A severe crush injury can lead to compartment syndrome, crush syndrome, or even an amputation, and needs urgent treatment.

Forklift and powered-vehicle accidents

Forklifts tip over, strike workers on foot, and drop loads. Falls from the forks and being pinned against racking are common. These are among the most frequent serious accidents in Ohio warehouses.

Machine-guarding failures

When a guard is missing, broken, or bypassed to speed up production, moving parts are left exposed. A guarding failure is often the direct cause of a caught-in or amputation injury, and it can support a VSSR award.

Power tools, presses, and conveyors

Saws, presses, augers, and conveyor belts cause lacerations, fractures, and degloving injuries. A single unguarded belt or blade can change a worker's life in a moment.

Unguarded machinery and equipment hazards that cause industrial accidents in Ohio workplaces

What Causes Industrial and Machine Accidents at Work

Most industrial accidents come from missing or defective machine guards, skipped lockout-tagout steps, defective equipment, inadequate training, and production pressure. These hazards are common on Ohio factory floors, in warehouses, and on job sites.

Machine guarding and lockout-tagout

The two leading causes are a missing machine guard and a skipped lockout-tagout step during maintenance. Both are specific safety rules under OSHA. When one of them is broken, it can drive an OSHA citation and support a VSSR award on your claim, which we explain below.

Ohio workers face these hazards in assembly and manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, foundries and metalworking, food processing, printing, construction, and agriculture. The accident is rarely the worker's fault. It usually traces back to equipment that was not safe.

What to Do After an Industrial Accident in Ohio

Get emergency medical care, report the injury to your employer right away, and file a First Report of Injury (FROI) with the Ohio BWC. You generally have one year from the injury date to file.

Get Emergency
Medical Care

Treat the injury first and tell every provider it happened at work.

Report It To
Your Employer

Tell your employer as soon as you can and ask for it in writing.

Preserve The Machine And The Scene

Keep the equipment from being repaired and save photos and witness names.

File Your
BWC Claim

Your claim starts when a First Report of Injury (FROI) is filed.

Know Your Deadline And Call A Lawyer

You generally have one year. Talk to us before you sign anything.

Workers' Comp Benefits
You Can Recover

An industrial accident claim can pay for your medical treatment and surgery, replace part of your lost wages, compensate you for permanent impairment or a scheduled loss, and fund vocational rehabilitation.

Medical Treatment

Emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, and rehabilitation. You should not pay out of pocket for an allowed condition.

Lost Wages (TTD)

If your injury keeps you off work, temporary total disability benefits replace part of your lost wages while
you recover.

Permanent Partial Disability

If the accident leaves lasting damage, PPD benefits recognize that impairment. The loss of a finger, hand, or limb may also qualify for a scheduled-loss award.

Vocational Rehab

If you cannot return to the same job, vocational rehabilitation can help you retrain and find work within
your restrictions.

What is your industrial accident claim worth?

There is no set price. Value depends on how serious the injury is, whether you need surgery, how much work you miss, whether a safety violation or defective machine was involved, and any lasting impairment. We cannot promise a number, but we can explain how value is decided and fight for every source you qualify for.

Beyond Workers' Comp: VSSR Awards and Third-Party Claims

A machine injury can pay more than a basic Workers' Comp claim. If a safety rule was broken, a VSSR adds 15% to 50%. And if a defective machine or another company caused the accident, you may have a separate third-party claim.

A VSSR Additional Award

Stays inside the Ohio BWC system

Applies when your employer violated a specific safety requirement

Covers an unguarded machine or a skipped lockout-tagout step

Adds an extra 15% to 50% on top of your benefits

Learn how these claims work on our VSSR page.

A Third-Party Claim

Against a non-employer who helped cause
the accident

Most often the equipment manufacturer of a defective or unguarded machine

Sometimes a maintenance contractor or a staffing agency

Covers the full lost wages and pain and suffering Workers' Comp does not pay

Equipment manufacturer

Maintenance contractor

Staffing agency

Workers' Comp usually bars you from suing your employer, but neither of these paths replaces your Workers' Comp claim. They stack on top of it. If you think a dangerous machine or a broken safety rule caused your accident, a personal injury claim may run alongside your Workers' Comp. We look at every angle.

How Our Ohio Workers' Comp Attorneys Help

Our family handles every stage of an industrial accident claim, from filing your First Report of Injury to proving a VSSR safety violation, pursuing the equipment maker, and arguing appeals. You focus on healing, and we handle the fight.

Filing Your BWC Claim

We file your First Report of Injury (FROI) and make sure your allowed conditions reflect the full accident from the start.

Appealing Denied Claims

When a claim is denied, we fight it through every
level, from DHO and SHO hearings to the
Industrial Commission.

Pursuing TTD Benefits

Wage replacement while you cannot work, filed on the C-84. We make sure your wage rate is calculated correctly.

VSSR Additional Awards

An extra 15% to 50% when a machine guard or another safety rule was violated.
See how VSSR claims work

Pursuing PPD Benefits

Compensation for lasting impairment or a scheduled loss, filed on the C-92 and based on your impairment rating.

Third-Party and Product-Liability Claims

When a defective machine or a non-employer caused your accident, we pursue the equipment manufacturer or other party alongside your Workers' Comp claim.

New to the system? Read our guide on getting paid after a work injury.

Related Workplace Injuries We Handle

Knisley Law represents Ohio workers across every kind of workplace injury, anywhere a BWC claim is on the line.

Amputations

Loss of a finger, hand, or limb in a workplace accident.

Work Vehicle
Accidents

Crashes in company trucks, vans, and equipment.

Slip & Fall Injuries

Falls from wet floors, ice, and
workplace hazards.

Learn more

Workplace
Wrongful Death

Fatal work injuries and support for grieving families.