Identify the Exact Machine and Movement That Hurt You
You should begin with the equipment itself. You can record whether a crane, forklift, loader, excavator, lift, backhoe, telehandler, or other machine was involved, along with unit numbers, company markings, manufacturer labels, colors, attachments, and the project location. You should describe whether you were struck, pinned, caught between objects, hit by a suspended load, injured by a boom, or harmed during a rollover or equipment failure. You should avoid guessing about a mechanical defect before the equipment can be evaluated.
You should preserve photographs and video only from a safe location. Heavy-equipment scenes can remain hazardous because machines, suspended loads, unstable ground, electrical lines, or active work continue after an incident. You can keep witness names, operator information, project signs, incident reports, dispatch records you receive, and any message identifying where the machine was moved. Those facts may become important if the equipment leaves the site before your medical recovery is complete.
Separate Your Employer From the Other Companies That Controlled the Work
If you were working when you were injured, workers’ compensation is generally a separate system for claims against your employer under Labor Code § 3602. You should preserve your employer’s name while also identifying the property owner, general contractor, subcontractors, crane or equipment owner, rental company, maintenance provider, trucking company, and any other business that controlled the machine or surrounding operation.
You may have a third-party claim under Labor Code § 3852 when another person or company outside your employer is legally responsible for your injury. You do not need to decide which entity owed which duty before contracts and site records are examined. You can help by preserving work orders, equipment tags, rental documents, delivery paperwork, texts, photographs, and witness information that show who operated, supplied, maintained, directed, or controlled the equipment.
Document the Medical Consequences of a High-Energy Equipment Event
You may suffer injuries that require immediate trauma care, including crush injuries, fractures, head trauma, spinal injury, internal injuries, or amputation. You should tell your providers whether you were pinned, struck by a load, thrown, or caught between the machine and another object. You should keep ambulance records, imaging, operative reports, rehabilitation, prosthetic care, neurological treatment, and work restrictions.
You should also document secondary problems that develop during recovery. You may need additional surgery, wound care, pain management, therapy, or assistance with daily living. You should record how your injury affects walking, lifting, grip, balance, driving, sleep, concentration, personal care, and household responsibilities. Those functional changes can be especially important when your original work depended on strength, mobility, or equipment operation.
Preserve Your Work Loss and Family Impact After a Catastrophic Injury
You may be unable to return to your former trade even after your immediate medical care ends. You should keep wage records, overtime history, union or project records you possess, job descriptions, certifications, restrictions, and employer communications that show how your earning ability changed. You can also preserve receipts and records for transportation, home assistance, mobility devices, prosthetic needs, or other injury-related support.
If the equipment incident causes death, your family can preserve the project address, company names, machine identity, operator information, photographs, medical records, employment information, and relationship documents. You should not have to reconstruct the project hierarchy while grieving. Those records can allow the third-party relationships and wrongful-death losses to be evaluated without asking your family to make technical conclusions on its own.