Columbus Grain Bin Accident Attorneys

Working in or around a grain bin can be extremely hazardous. Each year, hundreds of individuals suffer life changing injuries due to grain bin accidents. Because of this, may farms have taken precautionary measures in an effort to minimize the conditions that cause an explosion.

Grain Bin Explosion

A grain bin explosion usually starts by an ignition source, such as a cigarette or other farm equipment, that ignites grain dust. The ignition causes a pressure wave to skip across the remaining floating particles inside of the grain bin, leading to a large-scale explosion. Because of this, the majority of Ohio farmers are required to follow specific protocols, proper warnings, and ventilation inside of the grain bins in order to minimize the potential of explosion. However, when the explosion occurs, workers and bystanders can suffer injuries such as: shrapnel flying, hearing loss, burns, traumatic brain injury, damaged organs, broken bones, and death.

Many grain bin explosions are catastrophic, but many of these explosions could have also been prevented if proper precautionary steps had been taken. Some questions to ask following grain bin explosion accidents are the following:

• Was the grain bin properly ventilated?
• Did the owner and all of the workers follow proper loading procedures?
• Were there proper warning signs?
• Were there established and implemented safety procedures?
• Were all the workers trained on how to avoid an explosion?
• Was the grain bin manufactured with a defect?
• Were there any federal standard violations on managing and using grain bins?

Grain bin explosion victims can seek compensation after their accident to ensure funds for medical bills, economic damages, loss of benefits, loss of work, rehabilitation, and funeral costs.

Grain Silo Suffocation

The demand for grain across the United States has become overwhelming, and more farms are increasingly using grain silos to meet this demand. However, silos pose significant dangers to farm workers—so much so that the Department of Labor has implemented laws prohibiting children under the age of 17 from working in commercial silos.

When engulfed in grain, suffocation can happen quickly and unexpectedly. Usually, the worker will become entrapped when loosening frozen or spoiled grain, or by walking across a grain “bridge”, but when the grain gives way, it causes the worker to fall and become engulfed incredible quickly.

Like many other accidents, silo suffocation is preventable. When workers and supervisors follow basic training procedures and use proper safety equipment, regulated by OSHA, injuries and death can be prevented. These preventable safety measures include learning when it is safe to enter a silo, as well as how to safely enter a silo.

When a silo accident involving suffocation occurs, every party at fault should be held responsible. Any worker injured in the accident (or family members of a worker killed by silo suffocation) has the legal right to file a products liability, personal injury, or workers compensation claim to receive benefits or compensation.

When any type of farm accident occurs, it is essential to conduct a proper investigation to determine which parties are at fault to be held accountable for the injuries or death. Often times, an experienced attorney will be able to determine if the equipment was neglected or if safeguards were never installed. In most cases, it is found that adequate training for operating in and around silos was not provided to the workers. Hiring a grain bin accident attorney from Rinehardt Injury Attorneys will help simplify the process and help families receive rightful financial compensation. Contact us at (419) 529-2020 or reach out to us online for a free consultation.