Farm Equipment Accident Statistics - Important Information

Agriculture is among the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Each year, millions of Americans put their health and lives at risk in order to provide food to the rest of the country and the world. In the course of their everyday duties, these workers must use heavy, inherently unsafe equipment and expose themselves to an array of harsh, potentially hazardous chemicals. While most of these farm workers are highly trained and extremely competent, thousands of severe injuries occur each year, too many resulting in death. In the late eighties, the National Safety Council conducted a series of definitive surveys, culminating in the publication of several volumes of "Accident Facts." Among these facts are the following: - Each year, roughly 120,000 farm workers are injured, with up to 1,300 of the injuries being fatal. In most cases, these injuries could have been prevented. - The most common accidents involve the rollover of heavy equipment such as tractors. - Farm workers are more likely to be injured on fruit farms than on any other type of farm. - The rate of injury among male farm workers is higher than the rate of injury among female farm workers. - Hired farm workers are more likely to suffer injury than family members working on family-owned farms. According to "Accident Facts," the majority of accidents occurred due to use of dangerous machinery and equipment. In some cases, fault for the accident lay with the farm worker behaving negligently; however, in many other cases, defective or otherwise unreasonably dangerous equipment was to blame. If you have been injured while working on a farm through no fault of your own, you may have legal recourse, whether the accident was caused by a defective product or unsafe working conditions. You would be well advised to contact a personal injury attorney for an evaluation of your potential claim. If you are faced with serious legal issues, a tractor injury accident attorney, riding lawn mower accident attorney, or farm equipment accident attorney can help. An experienced lawyer can evaluate your case and help determine the best way to pursue legal action.