Farm accidents might not be something your average person thinks about, but for families of farm workers, every day on the job is cause for anxiety. Like working in an office or at a store, agricultural workers have the same right to safety and peace of mind while on the job.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, farming and ranching jobs rank in the top ten of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Part of the reason farming and ranching is so dangerous is that the work often involves the use of heavy equipment and machinery in isolated locations.
The most common types of farming injuries are:
- Agricultural equipment injuries – an estimated 500 to 600 people die in tractor related accidents each year, with tractor rollovers accounting for the vast majority of these. Other machinery related accidents include those involving augers, combines, power drives, hay bailers, corn pickers, barn cleaners, trucks and other farm vehicles, ATVs and faulty tools. Farming equipment that is faulty or not equipped with the proper warnings and safeguards can lead to farmers getting crushed or entangled in the equipment. The resulting personal injuries are often serious and can include the loss of limbs and other body parts, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury or death.
- Farm structure emergencies – such as silo and grain bin entrapments, electrocutions or falls.
- Farm pesticides and other chemical poisonings, spills, fertilizer burns, fires, explosions, and toxic gas exposures.
- Farm animal incidents.
Having represented South Dakota farm workers for many years, we understand the dangerous hazards that farm workers face every day. Our attorneys at Janklow Law, are experienced in farm accident claims and will make sure the claim investigation is completed properly and thoroughly, insurance benefits are coordinated smoothly, and that you, as the accident victim, are fairly compensated for your injury.
Sorting out what personal injury rights you have when you have been involved in a farming accident is difficult. If your livelihood has been affected due to a personal injury sustained in a farm accident, or if you have lost a family member to this kind of situation, contact Janklow Law. Let us put our experience to work for you. Call us at 605-990-4304 or complete our free case review form online today.