Common Injuries Suffered On Farms

When you think about farming, the most challenging parts of the job you envision might be the constant exposure to the elements and the physical nature of the work. The climate in California can vary greatly and include extreme heat, a lot of wind, and rain. So the farm could be hot and dry, wet and slippery, or anything in between. However, the true hazards to many farm workers are actually related to the tools and machinery that are meant to make their jobs less difficult.

Working with massive combines, plows, trucks, frontend loaders, and other farm equipment can be very hazardous if the equipment is not properly used or maintained. Something as simple as a leak in a hydraulic line or a tire with low air pressure can result in an accident that could cause catastrophic harm, as can all of these common and very dangerous incidents that can happen on a farm:

• Loads falling on workers from trucks, frontend loaders, platforms, pallets, or barns
• Equipment malfunctions that cause a load to fall on a worker
• Poorly functioning equipment that lurches or shakes, and can hit a farm worker
• Parts falling from poorly maintained equipment
• Unstable or recently tilled, moved, or dumped soil, making slip and fall or trip and fall hazards
• Injuries from falling objects in barns or storage facilities
• The potential for suffocation or crushing injuries when working in or above a storage silo
• Poor vision due to damaged or missing windows that cause a driver to hit a person or structure
• Accidents when a piece of machinery, such as a combine, hits a structure or another vehicle or piece of equipment
• Equipment that is operated in inappropriate conditions can roll or tip over and harm the occupant or others in the area

The unfortunate part of all these issues is that they happen in many settings and for countless reasons that result in injuries that can range from mild to life-threatening.

When you picture the massive size and weight of a piece of farm equipment, you typically think of a combine or truck that you know is large. But most people see them from a distance and have no idea they are often larger than a city bus or a semi-truck. When these items are involved in an accident, the result is typically life-altering injuries for the farm workers involved that can include one or more of these:

• Partial or complete amputations
• Fractured, broken, or shattered bones
• Compound fractures
• Dislocated joints and destruction of the soft connective tissue of the joints
• Injuries to the back, neck, and spinal cord
• Severe lacerations and puncture wounds that include damage to internal organs and internal bleeding
• Compression or crushing injuries
• Soft tissue damage and the destruction of nerve tissue
• Contact or electrical burns
• Severe electrical shock or electrocution
• Harm to the delicate skin on the face or damage to the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth
• Head injuries that range from  a severe concussion or skull fracture to a brain bleed or other traumatic brain injuries
• Suffocation
• Bites from animals or pests
• Heat stroke or heat related harm

If you get hurt while on the job, you can open a worker’s compensation claim to receive the following benefits as needed to assist you in handling the losses and expenses caused by the injury incident:

• Complete coverage of all medical expenses related to the injuries suffered on the job up to a total of $1M per workplace injury incident
• The program will pay you up to 66% of your regular weekly income if you are unable to work while healing from workplace injuries
• Partial or temporary disability payments can be made to you if the harm you suffered results in a loss of or decline in your earning potential
• If the injuries you suffered prevent you from ever returning to work on a farm, the program will provide free vocational training to help you prepare for work in a new field once you have healed to the fullest extent possible from your on the job injuries

In most cases, the victim of a workplace injury is not permitted to file a personal injury lawsuit against their employer. Instead, they are limited to using the benefits of the worker’s comp program, as employers are protected from most personal injury lawsuits filed by employees. This protection is the payoff for employers for covering all of the costs of enrolling all employees in the worker’s comp program as required by state law.

Only in cases that involve gross negligence on the part of the employer are injury victims allowed to sue their employer. In these situations, gross negligence is considered to be when the employer shows no regard for the safety of employees. For example, if a worker reports a damaged piece of equipment that is dangerous to use, the employer should repair or replace the item swiftly to prevent anyone from suffering harm. However, when the employer ignores the request for repair of a hazardous piece of equipment and a worker is hurt because of that hazard, the employer could be considered grossly negligent in their care of equipment and protecting the safety of their employees. If you feel that the workplace injuries you suffered were partially or wholly caused by the employer’s gross negligence, please get in touch with the farm worker injury attorneys at DTLA Law Group today.

When you reach out to DTLA Law Group, you never need to be concerned about how you will cover the cost of legal services. Our firm always provides a free consultation and never requires any upfront payment of legal fees when we take on any case that has legal merit. DTLA Law Group only gets paid after the case is resolved and our client has the compensation that includes funds to cover all legal fees and other expenses. Finally, if your farm injury attorney fails to win your case and get you the compensation you deserve, you owe the firm nothing for the time and expenses incurred when preparing your case.

Please make time at your earliest opportunity to contact DTLA Law Group to discuss the facts of your farm injury incident and how our staff, the legal system, and worker’s comp benefits can help you overcome the expenses and issues created when you got hurt on the job.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Brawley Farm Worker Injury Lawyer
El Centro Farming Injury Worker’s Compensation Lawyer
Brawley Farm Worker Injury Lawyer