3 Types of Tractor and Equipment Accidents That May Injure Farm Workers

 Posted on October 25, 2021 in Workers' Compensation

There are many high-risk occupations where workers are at risk of being seriously injured. The agricultural industry is one of the most common sources of work-related injuries, and there are many ways that farm workers can suffer serious harm while on the job. Accidents involving tractors and other farm equipment can be especially dangerous, and workers who have suffered injuries in these types of accidents can work with an attorney to determine their options for receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

Common Tractor Accidents and Equipment-Related Injuries

Tractors are one of the most frequent sources of serious or fatal injuries on farms. Workers who are operating tractors or who are working near tractors or other equipment, such as harvesters and combines, may be injured because of:

• Rollovers/runovers - Tractors or other equipment may roll over for a variety of reasons, including driving at unsafe speeds, striking rocks or other hazards, operating a tractor incorrectly on steep slopes, or improper use of front-end loaders or other equipment attached to a tractor. Negligent operation of a tractor may also cause a worker to be run over. If a tractor rolls over on top of a worker or runs over a person, this may result in serious bodily harm, including damage to limbs requiring amputation or spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis. A tractor operator may also be injured in a rollover accident if a tractor did not have roll bars or other safety equipment meant to prevent injuries.

• Entanglement - Tractors and other farm equipment contain fast-moving machinery that can present a risk of injury to workers. If a person’s limbs or clothing become caught in a power take-off (PTO) shaft, combine machinery, or other tractor components, they may suffer severe injuries to multiple parts of their body.

• Traffic accidents - Tractors may be driven on roads near a farm, and they may become involved in collisions with other vehicles. In these cases, a tractor’s operator may suffer injuries due to the impact of a collision or a resulting rollover.

As with other types of work-related injuries, farm workers will usually be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured while working on or near tractors or other equipment. These benefits will cover the costs of a person’s medical treatment. A worker may also be able to receive temporary disability benefits while they are recovering from an injury, permanent disability benefits for amputations or other injuries that will permanently affect their ability to work, and job displacement benefits that will allow them to receive retraining to find work in other occupations.

Contact Our San Benito County Farm Worker Injury Lawyers

If you have suffered an injury while working on a farm, Cramer + Martinez can help make sure you will be able to receive workers’ comp benefits. We will assist you in filing a workers’ compensation claim, and we can help you pursue an appeal if benefits are denied. Contact our Santa Clara County workers’ compensation attorneys at 408-848-1113 to arrange a free consultation today.

Sources:

https://nasdonline.org/1650/d001534/a-guide-to-safe-farm-tractor-operation.html

https://modernfarmer.com/2014/06/farm-deaths/

https://afop.org/health-safety/tractor-safety/