Each year, many agricultural workers become injured on the job. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that in 2019, 410 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury. This means that there was a fatality rate of 19.4 deaths per every 100,000 farmworkers. Moreover, every day about 100 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury.
With these numbers in mind, it is not surprising to see that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Agricultural injuries are not uncommon, as it is estimated that between the years 2008 and 2010, 50% of all hired crop worker injuries were classified as a sprain or strain.
Some of the most common farming injuries are due to the following:
- Tractor overturn accidents
- Falls
- Entanglements and amputations
- Toxic chemical exposure to pesticides
- Suffocation
- Heat stress
- Animal-related injuries
In fact, the CDC has classified “transportation incidents,” which include tractor overturns, as the leading cause of death for farmers and agricultural workers. To combat these types of death, the CDC has recommended that tractors be manufactured with a Roll-Over Protective Structure, most commonly known as ROPS. In 2014, approximately 62% of tractors used on farms in the US were equipped with a ROPS. If ROPS were placed on all tractors used on US farms manufactured since the mid-1960s, the prevalence of ROPS-equipped tractors could be increased to over 80%
If you or a loved one has been injured in a farming or agricultural incident, call Abraham Watkins today. It is imperative that you find a law firm to manage your claim as soon as possible following an incident of this nature. Further, it is important to find a skilled law firm with experience handling these cases to ensure that companies are held fully accountable.
The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is the long-standing personal injury firm in Texas, and our attorneys are standing by to assist with your claim. Call us today at 713-222-7211 or 1-888-261-8831 for your free consultation.