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Farming Accident Lawyers Serving Illinois and Across the US
Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys Helping People Injured in a Farm Accident
Were you or a family member injured while working on a farm? If so, you are likely entitled to file for the workers' compensation you deserve. Contact the personal injury at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC for more information and a free review of your legal rights and options.
Our personal injury law firm handles Illinois farm accidents and trauma cases on a contingency fee basis. We only receive a legal fee when we successfully obtain a financial recovery for our clients. If there is no recovery, our legal services are completely free. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
For centuries, work in the agriculture industry has remained one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation. With large machinery, animals, and a wide variety of chemicals, there are countless ways workers can hurt themselves.
Unfortunately, regardless of the size of the US farm, many injuries and even fatal injuries happen annually.
Farm Injury Statistics: A Discouraging Perspective on Worker Safety
The agricultural industry comprises everything from large industrial operations to smaller, family-run farms. As one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, farming is one of the few businesses where families live and work on the farm at various ages, not just adult workers.
According to the Center for Disease Control, farming is a high-risk business with many severe fatalities. Recent statistics reveal that over 400 farmers and farm workers die annually from agricultural work-related injuries at a fatality rate of 19.2 deaths per 100,000 farmers.
In 2016, there were 1.8 million full-time workers and over 5 million combined workers in the agricultural industry. Unfortunately, 476 farmworkers lost their lives that year in work-related accidents.
In addition, over 240 farmers and farmworkers are harmed every day, with 5% of these injuries resulting in permanent impairment.
Farm-Related Injuries Among Children
Over one million children under 20 years of age live on farms, with over half of them performing work on the farm.
In 2009, approximately 230,000 adolescents worked on farms owned and operated by others. Unfortunately, an average of 113 children under 20 years of age dies each year on farms.
In 2015, 16,100 child and adolescent accident victims were harmed on farms, 3,400 related to work accidents.
Older farmworkers are at high risk of fatalities in workplace accidents. The Fatal Occupational Injury data census shows that farmworkers over 55 years of age were victims of over 50% of the agricultural work-related deaths between 1992 and 2004.
Tractor rollovers remain a leading cause of death, accounting for 90 deaths annually on farms. Many of these could have been prevented by following warning labels, taking extra caution, and using Roll-Over Protective Structures. However, in 2010, only 59% of tractors were equipped with these devices.
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), the rate for farmworker injuries was 20% higher in 2010 than other types of work accidents (4.8 per 100 versus 3.8 per 100 for workers in all other industries).
In Illinois, workers' compensation benefits were available for all qualified employees harmed in the workplace or in a truck or auto accident.
Common Causes of Farm Accidents
Depending on the type of farm, there are many accidents in day-to-day agricultural work.
Tractor accidents remain the leading cause of fatalities. Additionally, farmers and farmworkers are often severely injured by defective farm equipment and hazardous work conditions, including:
- Malfunctioning or defective farm equipment
- Chemical and exposures in grain elevators
- Falls
- Tractor accidents while pulling equipment
- Grain auger accidents
- Tractor rollovers
- Toxic chemical exposure
- Animal farm-related accident
- Silo suffocation
- Fires and explosions
- Tractor/car accidents
- Hay baler accidents
- Machinery and truck accident rollovers
- Power take-off injury & entanglement
- Equipment defects
- Combine, grain bin and other equipment accidents
Some tractor accidents can be due to improper training or safety gear. It is up to farm owners to provide a safe and healthy work environment just like any other employer.
However, many of these farm injuries also happen to the farm owners and their families due to no fault of their own.
Many cases of malfunctioning or defective equipment and machinery have put agricultural workers and farm-owning families at risk for injury sustained in their workplace.
Some chemicals and pesticides could be harmful if proper warning information is not included on the packaging or the farmworker follows.
Unfortunately, in these types of accidents, the manufacturers of the agricultural farm equipment and products are often at fault for the farm worker's damages. Our office is actively prosecuting cases involving Alzheimer’s from Paraquat exposure and Roundup non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Sustainability in the United States results from the agricultural industry feeding Americans at home and other countries worldwide. Therefore, regulators must ensure that agricultural workers remain safe in their workplaces to maximize our country's economy and the well-being of its citizens.
However, it is a dangerous industry where agricultural workers must strive to use safety precautions when working with dangerous farm equipment to ensure they remain safe. The farm owners also must provide the proper safety gear and equipment and training for their workers.
Workers' Compensation Benefits
As a general rule, if you are injured on the job in Illinois, you are covered under the Illinois Worker's Compensation Act.
The Act is not fault-based and automatically provides the following compensation benefits to injured workers:
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses reimbursement for past and future medical care
- Funds for property damage
- Lump-sum payment based on the extent of your injury
- Vocational training if you are incapable of returning to your pre-injury position
Our farm accident lawyers handle worker's compensation on a contingency fee guarantee and only receive a legal fee when we successfully obtain benefits for you. Contact a farm accident attorney today for a free consultation to discuss receiving fair compensation for your medical bills, time away from work, pain-and-suffering.
Our personal injury lawyers will also seek out additional defendants (third parties) who might be at fault for causing your damages. Our attorneys will ensure you receive compensation paid by the defendant's insurance company.
Civil Law Benefits Potentially Available in a Farm Injury Case
While you cannot pursue a civil claim against your direct employer under Illinois tort law, you may be able to pursue a product liability or general negligence case against the entity responsible for your injury.
While benefits afforded an injured employee under the workers' comp program are intended to provide a basic level of support, a civil claim (also referred to as a third-party lawsuit) can help compensate you fully for your losses.
When pursuing a civil claim involving farm accidents, the case resolution could include financial compensation (in addition to worker's compensation benefits) for both economic and non-economic damages.
In personal injury cases involving a workplace accident, a monetary recovery may include compensation for:
- Medical expenses for all past and future medical care
- Past and future lost wages
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
In the case of fatal farming-associated accidents, the deceased's family may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties to recover for their loss of emotional and economic support.
If you have questions about a civil claim for a farming injury or fatality case, contact our law firm for a free consultation and help with an experienced attorney. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC has years of experience investigating, prosecuting, and resolving Illinois farm accident injuries.
Our experienced attorneys will take the steps necessary to gather the evidence and determine the responsible parties, and ultimately hold them accountable for their actions in court. Therefore, we invite you to contact our Illinois farm accident lawyers today for a free review of your case.
Illinois Accident Attorneys Representing People Who Have Suffered an Injury At a Farm
Many agricultural injuries involve powerful machinery where catastrophic accidents are genuinely life-changing events for the individuals involved. Frequently, these work-related injuries are magnified due to delayed medical attention or inadequate care in rural areas.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC understands the issues involved in these Illinois personal injury lawsuits and works to secure maximum recovery from all responsible parties through serious injury claims.
Like all farm accidents and work-related injuries, farmworkers are entitled to receive Illinois Worker's Compensation benefits to recoup their medical bills paid through their employer's insurance company coverage. A Workers' Compensation claim will cover medical expenses, time away from work, pain, and suffering.
Call our Chicago, IL personal injury law firm for a free consultation at (888) 424-5757 to discuss any questions you have related to your legal rights. Speak with an attorney who has handled matters involving people who have sustained severe injuries while working on a farm.
Example Farm Injury Settlement for our Clients
Our Illinois farming accident lawyers were able to secure a $2,100,000 settlement for a 45-year-old man who fell from the roof of a grain silo in Bloomington, IL. The fall resulted in multiple compression fractures to the man's lower back that necessitated a lumbar fusion.
Soon after we were retained, we hired an investigator to inspect the silo and incident scene. The investigation revealed that the silo was not properly constructed and was missing vital structural bracing that caused the roof to give way while working.
Soon after fact-witnesses were deposed, our attorneys worked to settle the case using a mediator and the defendant's insurance company.
Illinois Accident Attorneys Representing People Who Have Suffered an Injury At a Farm
Many agricultural injuries involve powerful machinery where catastrophic accidents are genuinely life-changing events for the individuals involved. Frequently, these work-related injuries are magnified due to delayed medical attention or inadequate care in rural areas.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC understands the issues involved in these Illinois personal injury lawsuits and works to secure maximum recovery from all responsible parties through serious injury claims.
Like all farm accidents and work-related injuries, farmworkers are entitled to receive Illinois Worker's Compensation benefits to recoup their medical bills paid through their employer's insurance company coverage. A Workers' Compensation claim will cover medical expenses, time away from work, pain, and suffering.
Call our Chicago, IL personal injury law firm for a free consultation at (888) 424-5757 to discuss any questions you have related to your legal rights. Speak with an attorney who has handled matters involving people who have sustained severe injuries while working on a farm.
Example Farm Injury Settlement for our Clients
Our Illinois farming accident lawyers were able to secure a $2,100,000 settlement for a 45-year-old man who fell from the roof of a grain silo in Bloomington, IL. The fall resulted in multiple compression fractures to the man's lower back that necessitated a lumbar fusion.
Soon after we were retained, we hired an investigator to inspect the silo and incident scene. The investigation revealed that the silo was not properly constructed and was missing vital structural bracing that caused the roof to give way while working.
Soon after fact-witnesses were deposed, our attorneys worked to settle the case using a mediator and the defendant's insurance company.
Farm Worker Accident FAQs
We understand that many families have unanswered questions concerning farm accidents, dealing directly with insurance companies, and applying for Worker's Comp benefits.
Our farm accident lawyers have answered some of the frequently asked questions below related to dangerous farm-associated accidents.
For more information, call our national trial lawyers today at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form to discuss your legal rights to receive compensation for your damages.
An experienced attorney can help you and your family recover the compensation you deserve for cases involving severe injury or fatalities.
Contact a Farmworkers Compensation & Personal Injury Law Firm For Legal Representation
In Illinois farm injury cases, our personal injury attorneys commonly investigate the role of landowners, equipment manufacturers, management companies, maintenance companies, and others working on the farm– all intending to protect our clients' rights in the farming industry.
Have you suffered a workplace accident trauma, or were you involved in a work-related injury or lost a loved one through wrongful death?
If so, contact our farm accident lawyers today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) for help and to schedule a free consultation.
All discussions with our personal injury law firm remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship. Therefore, please do not send sensitive information to our law office through voicemail, email, or text message.
Our farm accident attorneys follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus pandemic). Additionally, our personal injury lawyers currently represent clients in Paraquat lawsuits involving Parkinson's Disease.