A farm can be a very dangerous environment to work in, and it is crucial that your employer takes the appropriate steps to ensure your safety. Where they fail to do so, and you are injured as a result, you could be entitled to make a farm injury claim.
Farms can often be dangerous places to work. Large animals, heavy machinery and hazardous chemicals all contribute to a high level of risk, so it is important that your employer (whether the farm owner or a contractor) ensures the correct health and safety procedures are in place to keep you as safe as possible while you work.
Where procedures aren’t followed and employees are put at risk, the consequences can be dire. According to a report published by the Health and Safety Executive, farmers are nearly four times as likely to be injured at work than anyone else.
Importantly, it isn’t just employees that are at risk; visitors and guests at a farm, including children, can also be at risk if precautions aren’t taken.
Suffering an injury while working on a farm can have wide ranging implications, from dealing with pain and discomfort to needing to take time out of work to recover. If you’ve been injured in the course of your employment and it wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to make a farm injury claim.
What are the most common causes of farm accidents?
While tractor accidents are the type of accident that usually make the headlines, there are many other hazards on most modern farms, making farming an extremely dangerous industry in Britain. These include:
Tractors, trailers and forklift trucks
Quad bikes
Cattle and other livestock
Falls from barns and haystacks
Falling objects in stores and barns
Dangerous chemicals
Falling into grain silos and slurry pits
There are many more hazards, which require proper health and safety procedures to be followed to avoid injuries. If you or a loved one have been harmed while on a farm, talk to one of our farming industry specialists about making a farm injury claim.
Farms are often very busy environments; with so many different hazards to protect against, there are a variety of injuries that could be sustained if the proper care isn’t taken. Some of the most common injuries claimed for include:
Burns and scalds
Neck or back injuries
Fractured or broken bones
Soft tissue injuries
Asbestos-related illnesses (such as asbestosis or mesothelioma)
Farmer’s lung (a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by the inhalation of dust from mouldy hay or straw)
This list is by no means exhaustive, and if you or a loved one has suffered an injury or illness on a farm due to someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation, regardless of what type of injury or illness you’ve suffered from.
To establish your full legal position, contact our solicitors to discuss your farm accident claim.
How can a farm accident claim support my recovery?
Suffering an injury on a farm can have serious ramifications, not only physically, but financially, emotionally and psychologically, for you and your loved ones. These factors will be taken into consideration when the amount of compensation due is determined.
While compensation cannot undo what has happened, it will help in meeting the costs of:
Any financial losses (including time needed out of work to recover, travel expenses, etc)
The cost of any medical treatment required (including therapy or counselling)
Any accommodation costs or adaptations required to your home
Other expenses incurred as a result of your injury
Employers have a moral and legal obligation to ensure the health and wellbeing of their employees and visitors to their premises to the best of their ability, particularly in incredibly hazardous environments such as farms. While it is nearly impossible to entirely remove the risk of injury, employers must take every reasonable step to prevent accidents from occurring. Where this obligation is not met, the consequences can be severely damaging, both physically and psychologically.
We know that moving forward involves more than just legal advice and compensation, which is why we work closely with medical professionals to determine the impact of your injuries in the long-term and identify any additional support and rehabilitation you may need, based on the unique circumstances of your case.
We’re no win no fee specialists, meaning there’s no financial risk when making a claim for an accident at work.
Talk to the experts
Our teams of legal experts specialise in representing those who’ve suffered injuries at work.
Tailored advice
As specialists in accident at work accident claims, we’ll ensure your case is dealt with swiftly, whilst ensuring you receive the maximum compensation.
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No. Under UK law, employers are not allowed to dismiss staff who make a personal injury claim against their business.
We know that many people can feel uncomfortable with the idea of making a claim against an employer, and often it is the thought of the added cost to the business (and the implications for their boss) that concerns them. It is important to remember that businesses in the UK are required to have liability insurance, which will cover the cost of any claim you make against your employer.
Can I make a farm injury claim if I am a self-employed farm worker?
Yes. Self-employed farm workers are often contracted by larger companies, who are responsible for ensuring that your working environment is as safe as possible. If they have failed to make the correct checks, or take appropriate measures to ensure your safety, they are responsible for any accident that occurs, and you may be entitled to make a claim.
How much compensation could I receive for an accident on a farm?
Every farm injury claim is different, and the final figure for compensation depends upon the seriousness of the injury, as well as how much it might affect your ability to work in the future, and how much any rehabilitation might cost.
However, we take most farming injury cases on a No Win No Fee basis and seek interim payments to help you avoid hardship if you are prevented from working by your injuries.
How long do I have to make a farm accident claim?
The general rule is that a claim must be brought within three years of the date of the accident. However, there are exceptions, such as if you're claiming on behalf of someone who has diminishing mental capacity, in the event the accident happened abroad, or in the tragic circumstances where there is a death.
It's therefore important that you speak to a specialist farm injury solicitor as soon as you are able.
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