Columbus Farm Injury Attorneys

Working with large machinery, animals, and a wide variety of chemicals, farming is continuously ranked one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. According to the Farm Injury Resource Center, farm workers are 800% more likely to die while on the job. According to OSHA, the rate for farm worker injuries was 20% higher in 2010 than all other types of work injuries, with 4.8 injuries per 100 versus 3.8 per 100 for other industries. Unfortunately, fatalities and injuries among agricultural workers are on the rise, and the size of the farm does not matter.

The agricultural industry is incredibly diverse, ranging from large industrial operations to small family farms. Often, families live and work on the farm, including children and the elderly. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, farming is a high-risk business with a large capacity for serious injuries. On average, 243 farm workers are injured each day in the United States, with five percent of those injuries resulting in permanent impairment. In addition to this, there are 5 million workers in the agricultural industry, and 1 million children under the age of 20 living on and working on farms across the country. An average of 113 children under the age of 20 die each year on farms in work-related accidents.

In addition to the children living and working on farms, older farm workers are at a high risk for sustaining life-threatening injuries. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries shows that workers over 55 years of age were the victims of over half of the agricultural worker deaths between 1992-2004. Tractor overturns are the leading cause of agricultural workers’ deaths, accounting for 90 deaths annually.

While tractor overturns are the leading cause of fatalities, farm workers are exposed daily to a range of chemicals, equipment, and animals. Equipment malfunctions, chemical exposures, falls, animal injuries, and combine / grain bin accidents are also extremely prevalent on farms. Some of these accidents can be due to improper training or use of safety gear; it is up to the farm owners to provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. In fact, many of the tractor overturns could have been prevented with the use of Roll-Over Protective Structures, but in 2014, only 62% of tractors were equipped with these devices. However, despite all of the training and precautions, many of these injuries can happen to the farm owners and their families that the farm owner could not have prevented.

Injuries Caused by Defective Farm Equipment

There have been many cases of malfunctioning or defective equipment and machinery that has put workers at risk for injury, as well as mislabeled chemicals and pesticides. In these cases, it is the fault of the manufacturers of the agricultural equipment.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In 1990, NIOSH developed an extensive agricultural safety and health program to address the high risks of injuries and illnesses experienced by workers and families in agriculture. NIOSH supports intramural research and funds extramural research and prevention programs at university centers in 10 states. These programs conduct research on injuries associated with agriculture, as well as pesticide exposure, pulmonary disease, musculoskeletal disorders, hearing loss, and stress.”

Many agricultural injuries involve large, powerful machinery, harmful chemicals, or dangerous animals that can change the life of the injured worker or child. Frequently, these injures are made worse due to delayed medical attention or inadequate medical attention. The Columbus workplace injury attorneys at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys understand the issues involved in these cases and work together to help you obtain rightful compensation, investigating the role of the land owners, product manufacturers, management companies, maintenance companies, and other farm management.