Agricultural Accident Claims & Farm Accident Compensation Claim Solicitors

Every workplace has its own set of risks and potential hazards but employees working on farms and other agriculture environments are often exposed to more risks than most. Farming involves:

• working with potentially dangerous machinery, livestock and chemicals.
• regular exposure to bad weather, loud noises and dust.
• physically demanding and often repetitive work leading to a range of physical health problems, particularly severe back pain
• often working at height or near pits, with the potential of injury from falling
• being struck by a moving vehicle..
• being struck by moving or falling objects
• being trapped by an object overturning or collapsing.
• slipping, tripping or falling
• lifting or carrying heavy objects
• being in contact with unguarded machinery

The Health and Safety Executive reports that in 2018: 17,000 workers, in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector in Great Britain, suffer from work-related illnesses, while 13,000 workers suffered non-fatal injuries.  In the last ten years nearly 1 person a week has been killed as a direct result of agricultural work.  Many more have been seriously injured or made ill by their work.

If you have been injured while working on a farm or other agricultural setting and your employer was negligent, you could be entitled to compensation.

Injured Working on a Farm – Do you have a claim?

Although farms and other agricultural environments have a high number of potential hazards, your employer still has a duty of care to ensure a safe working environment for you and your colleagues. This means regularly servicing machinery, training staff and having an adequate health and safety regime in place.

Will making a claim affect my job?

We understand there are sometimes concerns about making a claim against an employer. Often people are worried about the impact this will have on their job or their relationships at work. Legally, you cannot be dismissed for bringing a claim against your employer. Any employee has the right to claim compensation if their employer doesn’t fulfill their duty to provide a safe work environment.

If you are concerned about the cost of the claim for your employer, it may help to know that UK employers are legally required to take out employers’ liability insurance, which should cover them for work accident claims.

How long do I have to claim?

Generally, in the UK, you must start a personal injury claim within 3 years from the date of the accident. There are a number of exceptions to this general rule, therefore if you wish to make a claim as a result of an accident, you should speak to one of our personal injury specialists right away to discuss any exceptions which may apply to your situation.

What can I claim for?

Every case is different but, generally, the more serious your injuries and the more impact your injuries have on your everyday life, the more compensation you could be entitled to.

Personal injury claims usually involve claiming for two types of compensation:

General damages – Compensation for the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity you have suffered as a result of your accident-related injuries. This is basically compensation for the impact of the accident on your physical and psychological health, as well as the impact on your everyday life. The sum to be paid will be decided by the court.

Special damages – Compensation for financial losses related to your accident. Examples include:

• loss of earnings and pension as a result of a serious injury
• travel to medical appointments
• equipment and alterations to vehicles and housing as a result of your injuries
• the purchase of prosthetic limbs
• ongoing nursing and care
• private health care and surgery
• domestic services, including DIY, window cleaning, decoration, and maintenance.

While this may seem a lot to consider at Grieves Solicitors we have the skills and experience to support you every step of the way and help you get the maximum compensation possible. To find out how much you could be eligible to claim, use our Accident at Work Compensation Calculator.

Common Farm Worker Injury Claims

Due to the nature of everyday work on a farm, we see some injuries affecting large volumes of people year after year

Farm manual handling injury & falling object claims

Manual handling is the supporting or transporting of a load, it is concerned with the lifting, carrying, lowering, pushing of the substances related to their title. Most agricultural employees perform these responsibilities as part of their job role, though certain employees will be required to carry out manual handling daily.

Most workers lift and carry items without incident. However, others may not be as lucky and can suffer muscle or joint injuries. In some situations, manual handling accidents may even cause internal injuries and fatality.

Farming can include very physical work and workers can injure themselves by lifting heavy loads such as hay bales, calves, chemicals, fertiliser, buckets, and other heavy farming equipment. Most agricultural manual handling injuries can involve the back and weight-bearing joints. Falling objects can also pose a threat and cause substantial injuries.

Many agricultural items can be extremely heavy and thus difficult to move without any help or assistance. Bales of hay, feed bags, and other items should be moved by mechanical means where possible, for example, employees could use a forklift that is operated by a properly trained individual. The appropriate handling of bales and any other heavy objects using safe lifting techniques would ensure that chances of back injury are reduced.

Our expert personal injury solicitors have advised clients who have suffered a range of manual handling injuries, including:

• Back injuries
• Muscular injuries to upper/lower limbs
• Fractures
• Worsening of existing medical conditions, aggravated by a manual handling accident
• Internal injury

While many accidents that lead to such injuries have their causes in the following areas:

• Incorrect or lack of training provided
• Failure to carry out risk assessments on individuals or situations
• Failure to provide key equipment to carry out the task
• Unsafe storage facilities or over-stacking

Falls from height

According to a report by the HSE, falls are the second-highest cause of death in agriculture. Every year at least eight people die falling from a height. Those who survive suffer broken bones or even worse. Farming falls often happen from roofs, lofts, ladders, vehicles, bale stacks. These accidents and injuries can cause pain and cost an individual time and money. However, most fall injuries can be avoided. Accidents such as falling from a height can have a huge impact on a victim’s life, if you have fallen from a height which was no fault of your own, you may be entitled to compensation.

The law shelters all labour activities where individuals could fall or injure themselves. The legal duties fall on employers, self-employed and those who have control over the work at height. It is vital to make sure work at height is properly planned, supervised and carried out by individuals who are competent to do the task.

How do I make a claim?

To get the appropriate compensation for your case, it is important to seek legal help from specialists. Thankfully Grieves Solicitors has an experienced team ready to help you with your case. All you need to do is contact us today on Freephone 0800 0747 644 or fill in our online form and one of our expert team will get back to you as soon as possible.

We will provide a free no-obligation assessment of your case. After that, it is up to you whether you wish to proceed.

Why Grieves Solicitors?

With over 20 years of experience, Grieves Solicitors are a leading practise of accident compensation claims solicitors in Huddersfield.  We can help you navigate the complex process of bringing an Agricultural Accident Claim, while providing friendly and professional advice.

Our Farming Accident Solicitors regularly act for clients across Yorkshire and the North West including Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford, Dewsbury, Wakefield, Brighouse and Rochdale.

We can support your needs wherever you live in Wales, England & Northern Ireland. We serve clients across the UK and we take all cases on a ‘no win, no fee basis’.

Work Accident Claims can be complicated, so it is important to obtain specialist advice.

If you are looking for simple easy to understand expert legal advice contact Grieves Solicitors today on Freephone 0800 0747 644 or complete our online form below and we will get in touch.