Farming’s Poor Safety Record
Agriculture has the worst rate of worker fatal injury (per 100,000) of all the main industry sectors, with the annual average rate over the last five years around 21 times as high as the all-industry rate.
Figures published in the Health and Safety Executive's report 'Fatal injuries in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Great Britain 2021/22' show 25 people were killed as a result of farming and other agriculture-related activities during the year.
Most of those who died were either were hit by moving vehicles, injured by animals or fell from a height. Others were struck by moving or falling objects or trapped when something collapsed or overturned.
Numbers are falling on previous years but agricultre continues to have the poorest safety record in the UK and Ireland.
Fatal Accidents On Farms
A 57-year-old self-employed contractor was run over and killed by a telehandler being reversed by a farmer. The worker had been helping to scrape pig muck out of the pens. The telehandler was manoeuvred inside the building, crushing the worker.
A 32-year-old farm worker died after getting crushed between the chassis of a sprayer and its rear wheel. He had been spraying a field and had left the tractor, engine running, to check a fault.
A 53-year-old self-employed farmer fell through a skylight while he was replacing broken roof panels on a barn. He died from head injuries.
A 27-year-old forestry worker died after he was struck by a falling branch. He was felling trees with a chainsaw and dislodged a branch from another tree. He died in hospital after sustaining serious head injuries.
Causes Of Non-Fatal Farming Injuries
Slips, trips and falls accounted for 21% of all injury accidents on farms in 2019. Even these simple accidents can result in broken bones and soft tissue injuries – with serious consequences: pain, long-term impairments and lost earnings due to time off work.
A fifth of all non-fatal farming injuries were caused by livestock and other animals: bites, kicks or trampling.
Other causes include falls from height (such as from barn lofts or grain silos); lifting and carrying heavy objects; being hit by falling objects; contact with machinery.
Farm machinery is large, powerful and potentially dangerous. Reckless shortcuts and lack of training can lead all too easily to accidents – especially if the machinery has not been properly maintained and is being operated in wet, muddy and challenging conditions.
How Much Could I Claim For My Injuries?
Compensation payouts vary greatly depending on:
- the severity of your injuries and how long the effects last
- what impact your injuries have on your long-term health and quality of life
- loss of earnings and your ability to provide for your loved ones.
Our personal injury solicitors can value your claim for you. They will carry out a series of calculations based on legally recognised sources such as the Judicial College Guidelines and the Ogden Tables.
Typical examples of injuries payouts can include:
- Brain injury
- very severe brain injury – millions of pounds (for accidents which leave victims requiring round-the-clock care)
- severe brain injury, £380,000
- less severe brain injury, £15,000-£40,000 - Loss of both legs (severe injuries resulting in double amputation), £264,000
- Arm(s) lost in machinery
- (amputated below elbow) £102,000
- (amputated above elbow) £122,860
- (both arms) £128,710.
Compensation For Fatal Injuries
Compensation for loss of life – due to a farm injury or any other accident – varies even more than damages for non-fatal injuries.
No amount of money can ever compensate you for the loss of a loved one. But it can at least help to secure the financial future of those left behind grieving.
Compensation is based on a number of factors including:
- how old the person was when they died
- how much they were earning at the time (and how much they would have earned, had they lived)
- how many dependents they leave behind and their needs.
Farming is not renowned for its high wages. But damages could rise well into six figures for a young farmer earning a good wage if he/she died leaving behind a number of dependents.
Your No Win No Fee Claim
Coles Miller handles all injury accident claims on a No Win No Fee basis – so there is no financial risk to you. Find out more here.
Get Expert Legal Advice
Contact Coles Miller personal injury lawyer Brian Parsons for more information about farming and forestry injury accident claims.
