Houston Product Liability Lawyers Serving Clients Injured by Defective Agricultural Machines in Texas and Throughout the Country
Work in agriculture is difficult. In addition to using your strength, you depend on a variety of tools and vehicles to complete the task. You assume that every piece of equipment you use is secure, but manufacturers occasionally take shortcuts or prioritize profits over the welfare of their customers. When this occurs, people may sustain severe injuries or even pass away.
Patrick Daniel Law defends those who have suffered injuries in agricultural mishaps caused by faulty farming machinery. These machines’ billion-dollar manufacturers are not impenetrable, and we vigorously pursue litigation to secure just compensation for you.
Accidents involving Farm Equipment: Types
The attorneys at Patrick Daniel Law assist clients who have suffered injuries as a result of mishaps involving a variety of farm equipment and vehicles. These consist of:
- Vehicles Combines
- Inbred hogs
- Hay rakes and balers for hay
- loading front-end
- Compact loaders and backhoes
- Augers
- Harvesters
- Planters
- Planters Mowers
This is by no means a comprehensive list. The unfortunate truth is that any farm equipment you use has the potential to malfunction and result in serious injury or death.
What Is the Most Dangerous Farm Machinery?
The following list includes some of the most typical farming accidents caused by faulty machinery and equipment:
Corn Husker Injuries
Corn farmers can save a tremendous amount of time and labor by using a machine that removes the husk and shell from corn ears. Sadly, incidents involving corn huskers can result in severe harm or even death.
Getting pulled into an automated corn husker is one of the biggest risks involved. Workers may experience serious dislocations, soft tissue injuries, bone fractures, and even traumatic amputations when this occurs.
The nearest hospital is frequently located far from farms and agricultural facilities. Workers are therefore at a high risk of developing a permanent disability as a result of corn husker accident injuries, along with potentially fatal shock and blood loss.
One or more of the parties involved in the design and production of the corn husker may be held accountable for an accident involving the device. You might also be able to hold one or more third parties accountable for creating safe working conditions on the farm if you or a loved one were injured or if a family member was killed.
Accidents involving potatoes
After harvest, potatoes are typically moved by semi-trucks in open or closed trailers. Truck collisions can happen on the highway or at a loading dock.
In distribution centers, truck drivers frequently have the unpleasant task of backing the rig up to a chute or conveyor belt to load potatoes. Workers on the ground run a serious risk of getting caught between a reversing semi-truck and other objects, and collisions with machinery are frequent.
Accidents involving the conveyor belt or the chute could also result in injuries for agricultural workers loading potatoes. The greatest danger comes from becoming trapped in machinery, which can result in crushing injuries, amputations of fingers and limbs, and (in severe cases) being dragged into the chute or the trailer bed.
The latter situation could result in the worker being crushed or suffocated by the weight of thousands of pounds of potatoes.
Silo Mishaps
Grain, livestock feed, and other items are stored in silos. When most people think of silos, they typically picture tall, tower-like structures, but they can also resemble trenches, silage piles, and other shapes.
Working on silos can be very risky without the right safety measures and tools:
Most farms load silos with trucks and large equipment. The risk of serious injury or death from becoming stuck in the machinery is very high, just like with the other equipment types covered on this page.
When a silo is unloaded from the bottom, a powerful suction forms at the top of the silo. The weight of the materials inside the silo could suffocate or crush workers drawn into this suction.
Silos may contain materials that are flammable and may catch fire or explode.
Grain fermentation in a silo releases poisonous fumes that deprive the body of oxygen.
Employees on the ground who are working when a silo collapses risk being crushed or trapped by the silo’s structure, its contents, and/or nearby machinery.
Silo mishaps can happen on both private and commercial farms. Workers at sizable grain storage facilities, also known as grain elevators, are also susceptible to the same kinds of mishaps.
Elevator Accidents
There are many applications for aerial equipment in farming and agriculture, including the Genie boom lift. Unfortunately, flaws frequently render aerial lifts dangerous for users.
The boom could separate from the mobile base as a result of broken bolts. As a result, there may be serious injuries and even fatalities if the lift collapses or tips over. The risks of using aerial lifts can be increased by other problems, like careless maintenance.
Patrick Daniel Law can assist you if you were hurt or lost a loved one in an agricultural accident involving a malfunctioning aerial lift. Our legal team has a lot of experience dealing with product liability cases and other lawsuits involving faulty farm equipment.
Rollover Mishaps
The leading cause of death for farmers and other agricultural workers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, is vehicle rollover accidents. The risk of fatalities is understandable when one considers the size of tractors and other large, heavy equipment used on farms.
The carelessness with which businesses can approach the design and development of these machines is difficult to comprehend. Negligence at any stage in the production of farm equipment can have disastrous effects on workers, whether the turning radius calculation was off or a mechanical issue led to the rollover.
Operating Equipment
Machinery that keeps running after it has been turned off is another common reason for serious accidents on farms in Texas and across the nation. Internal equipment components, whether they are the engine of a large machine or a standalone piece of machinery, pose a serious risk to fingers, hands, arms, and even general safety.
These machines’ flaws can make maintenance extremely dangerous. Additionally, if the machine keeps operating after being turned off, it could be dangerous for the operator and anyone nearby.
Vehicle Mishaps
Any moving vehicle that doesn’t stop is a serious safety risk. Even individuals on the opposite side of a field may be at risk of a runaway accident when a tractor, combine, or another heavy-duty machine is involved.
The same holds for pickup trucks, ATVs, and other popular agricultural vehicles. Auto defects can cause single-car accidents and vehicle collisions whether you’re on the farm or traveling to town.
Geysering Fuel
When a container is closed, pressurized fuel can spray out and cause fuel geysering. The fuel erupts from the device like a geyser, which can result in serious burn injuries.
Fuel geysering flaws can affect both portable and heavy-duty equipment. Although the geysering effect typically happens when the fuel tank is first opened, there may be a delay, increasing the risk to ongoing safety.
Common Injuries in Agricultural Accidents: Houston Tractor Accident
Any farmer or agricultural worker is aware of the potential dangers of their work. However, you have the right to anticipate that the equipment you use will perform as intended if you exercise caution and wear the appropriate safety gear.
Unfortunately, faulty designs, manufacturing flaws, and failure to issue warnings about potential dangers can all have disastrous effects. The following are some of the most frequent severe injuries we observe in farm accidents brought on by faulty machinery and equipment:
- Amputations
- Crush wounds
- Electrocutions
- Burns
- Bone fractures
- Traumatic encephalopathy
- spinal cord damage (up to and including paralysis)
Sadly, each of these wounds may have lifelong repercussions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or permanent disability (PTSD). These wounds could, in the worst-case scenario, prove fatal.
Mixture Harvester Farm Mishap
Multinational corporations produce agricultural equipment. They have the funds and resources to take decisive action to protect their bottom line when someone is hurt or killed while using one of their products.
They may deny responsibility, fully confident that victims and their attorneys lack the resources to pursue the matter, or they may make a pitiful settlement offer to settle a claim.
When you work with Patrick Daniel Law, that is not the case. Our law firm’s goal is to hold negligent parties who cause harm to our clients accountable.
Only our empathy for our clients and their families comes close to matching our fierce approach to litigation. Due to this, you can anticipate us to:
Always put your interests first
Create and implement original legal strategies that are tailored to the specifics of your case.
Utilize our staff’s business savvy, legal knowledge, and other skills to your advantage as a team.
Strive for the very best result in your case; we will never recommend that you accept a settlement offer unless we believe that doing so is in your best interests, and we are not afraid to go to court if doing so is the best course of action for obtaining compensation.
Strive for outcomes that a lot of other law firms can’t
We take pride in the consistently positive feedback our clients give us after working with Patrick Daniel Law in addition to the results that truly improve their lives.
Timing is essential in cases involving defective products, such as those involving farming accidents. Investigating the accident as soon as you can is crucial, especially to set up a professional evaluation of the piece of machinery or equipment that injured you.
As a result, it’s crucial to get in touch with Patrick Daniel Law as soon as possible to start assembling your agricultural injury claim. Remember, your consultation is completely free.
Accidental Farm Equipment Compensation
Any industrial equipment accident is likely to cause serious or even fatal injuries. As a result, these cases frequently result in significant damages.
Patrick Daniel Law’s attorneys fight for the full amount of damages you are due for your injuries. This might comprise:
- Medical costs
- lost income
- lost the ability to earn
- Distress and suffering
- emotional distress
- loss of group support
Punitive damages may also be available in claims for agricultural injury in Texas and other jurisdictions. If it is determined that the defendant in the case committed grave negligence or willful misconduct, these “statement” damages may be granted.
Patrick Daniel Law will act on your family’s behalf to pursue compensation in a wrongful death claim if you lost a loved one in an incident involving faulty farm machinery or equipment. The following types of damages could be awarded in a wrongful death case:
- Loss of anticipated benefits and income
- Funeral and burial or cremation service costs
- loss of group support
- emotional angst
You can rely on Patrick Daniel Law to keep you updated on the status of your case frequently in both wrongful death and serious injury cases. Our law firm is a people-first business dedicated to your recovery.
Thanks for visiting US Map Time Zones