Farm Accident Claims – How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

Accidents on farms can occur for various reasons. These might include the misuse of dangerous equipment, improper handling of hazardous chemicals, unsafe working conditions, or insufficient training and supervision. Importantly, if you’re a farm worker injured due to the negligence of your employer, you may be eligible to make a farm accident claim for compensation.

To find out if you can claim compensation for a farming accident, please call our team on 0800 6524 881. Alternatively, please continue reading to learn more about the farm accident claims process.

Am I Eligible To Make A Farm Accident Claim?

Anybody who has been injured in an accident on a farm could file a compensation claim, depending on the circumstances. This can include farm workers, contractors, visitors to the farm, or even members of the public.

Generally, to make a successful farm accident compensation claim, you’ll need to prove that:

• A duty of care was owed to you (for example, by the farm owner or employer).
• That duty was breached through their negligence.
• You were injured or made ill as a result.

If you’re unsure whether your farm accident meets these requirements, our claims advisors can assess your case for free and explain your options.

Can I Make A Claim If I Was Partly At Fault?

Yes, even if you were partly at fault for a farm accident, you may still be able to make a claim for compensation. However, the amount of compensation you might be entitled to may be reduced in proportion to your level of fault. This is due to the concept of contributory negligence, which means that if you contributed to the farming accident by your own actions or omissions, your compensation may be reduced accordingly.

Please contact us if you believe you contributed in some way to the accident and a claims advisor will go through your options with you.

Common Causes Of Farm Accident Claims

In the UK, employers have a legal duty of care to protect the welfare of their workers. This duty comes from The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. That means that regular risk assessments are required to spot any dangers within the workplace. Where risks are identified, the employer should remove them or introduce procedures to reduce them. If they don’t, and a farming accident occurs, a farm worker could seek compensation for their injuries.

Some common causes of farm accidents include:

• Use of heavy machinery. Farm work often involves the use of heavy machinery, such as tractors, combine harvesters, and baling machines. Injuries can happen if machinery malfunctions, overturns or hits a worker.
• Falls from height. Working at height is common on farms, such as when repairing roofs or working on ladders. Falls from height can cause serious injuries or even death.
• Handling of animals. Farm animals can be unpredictable, and handling them can be dangerous, particularly when dealing with large or aggressive animals. Typical injuries to farm workers happen due to animals kicking, biting, or trampling workers.
• Exposure to harmful substances. Farmers and their employees may be exposed to harmful substances such as pesticides, fertilisers, and animal waste, which can cause respiratory diseases, skin conditions, and extrinsic allergic alveolitis (Farmer’s Lung).
• Electrical hazards. Electricity is used extensively on farms, but faulty wiring, poor maintenance, and improper use of electrical equipment can cause serious burns, electric shocks, or electrocution.
• Slips, trips, and falls. Farm workers can slip or trip on uneven surfaces, wet floors, or debris, leading to injuries such as broken bones, sprains, or head injuries.
• Lack of training. Farm workers who are not properly trained on the use of machinery or safety procedures may be more likely to suffer an accident.

If you’d like us to review your farming accident claim for free, call us today on 0800 6524 881.

Common Types Of Injuries From Farming Accidents

Here are just some of the more common farming-related injuries that we could help claim compensation for:

If you suffered any type of injury in an accident on a farm, please connect with our claims advisors. They’ll let you know their thoughts and inform you of whether you could be eligible to make a farming accident claim or not.

How Much Compensation For A Farming Accident Can You Claim?

There isn’t a fixed amount of compensation for a farming accident you would claim as each case is different. Therefore, when a solicitor calculates how much compensation a claimant should receive, they will generally consider two types of damages:

• General damages. This compensates for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity (the impact the injury has had on your ability to enjoy life).
• Special damages. This covers financial losses such as loss of income, medical expenses, or other costs resulting from your injuries. For more serious or long-term conditions, it may also include care costs or home adaptations to improve your quality of life.

Due to the way injuries vary, we can’t tell you the exact amount of compensation that might be paid for farming accident claims without all of the details. However, insurers, courts and legal professionals refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) when settling claims. It provides a list of injuries and compensation levels. This means that personal injury solicitors can provide compensation estimates after reviewing your case.

Rather than guesstimating what your claim might be worth, you could use our compensation calculator below, or for a personalised estimate, you could call one of our specialist advisors. They’ll conduct an assessment of your case and review any evidence for free. Once they’ve finished, they should be able to let you know what amount of compensation you could be paid.

After your free assessment, we could connect you with one of our personal injury solicitors if your case is deemed to be strong enough. So that the farm accident claims process is not too stressful, our solicitors operate on a No Win No Fee basis. That means you won’t need to worry about losing money on solicitor’s fees during your case.

Farming Injury Compensation Calculator

To give some idea of how much you could receive for a farming-related injury, we have provided the compensation calculator below.

Importantly, these figures are for indicative purposes only. When farming accident claims are won, there is no guarantee that compensation levels will match those listed here. Also, please bear in mind that we have not listed every different injury possible here. You could be eligible to claim for any agricultural injury so long as the accident that caused it was not your fault.

Evidence Can Support A Farming Accident Claim

To help support your farm accident claim, you will typically need solid evidence some of which may include:

• The accident book record. Ensuring the incident is properly recorded in the farm’s accident book as per legal requirements is a good place to start.
• Witness statements. Collecting detailed accounts from anybody (including other farm workers) who witnessed the accident to support your version of events.
• Photographs/videos. Take photos and/or videos of the farm accident scene, including any machinery, substances, or conditions that contributed to the accident.
• Medical records. Records of your injuries and treatment, including initial assessments, ongoing medical care, and any expert opinions about your recovery and future prognosis.
• Risk assessment records. Risk assessment documents relevant to the job or task you were performing at the time of the accident on the farm. Employers are legally required to assess and manage risks.
• Health & Safety training records. Records of any safety training you received related to the tasks you were carrying out, especially if you were working with hazardous materials or farm machinery.
• Machinery maintenance and inspection logs. Request any logs detailing the maintenance and safety inspections of any farming equipment or machinery involved in the accident.
• CCTV footage. If the accident was recorded by security cameras on the farm, this footage could be an extremely useful piece of real-time evidence.
• Incident reports. Include any reports made about the accident, whether to internal management or external bodies like the HSE.
• A diary. Keep a diary documenting the progression of your injuries, the impact on your daily life, and any emotional or psychological effects.
• Proof of financial losses. Receipts, bills, invoices and any other proof of financial losses you’ve suffered due to the accident, including loss of earnings, medical expenses, and costs related to rehabilitation or adjustments needed for your return to work.

If you’d like a personal injury solicitor to review your case for free, get in touch with us today and a solicitor could look over any evidence you might have thus far.

Time Limits For Claiming Farm Accident Compensation

When claiming compensation for a farming injury, you’ll usually have a time limit in which to do so. In cases where your injuries are immediately obvious (broken bones, head injuries, lacerations etc), you will typically have 3 years from the date of your accident to claim.

However, for farming accident claims based on illnesses sustained over a long period, such as Farmer’s Lung or cancer, the date of knowledge may apply.

Do I Need A Solicitor To File A Farm Accident Claim?

While you don’t have to use a solicitor for a farm accident claim, they can make the process much easier and also improve your chances of receiving fair compensation.

Your solicitor could have a big impact on the chances of making a successful claim and, importantly, could help to ensure you are compensated at the right level.

We have a team of accident claims solicitors who have been managing cases on behalf of our clients for many years. If your case is taken on, we’ll appoint one to help you on a No Win No Fee basis. As soon as you agree to claim with us, we’ll start the process to ensure no time is wasted.

How Long Does The Farm Accident Claims Process Take?

The time it will take for your claim to be settled will typically depend on whether your employer admits liability for a) the accident and b) the injuries you’ve sustained. In cases that are settled amicably, everything could conceivably be completed within 6 months. Cases that are contested and require further investigation could take over a year, or several years in more complex cases.

Please call us for a free review of your farming injury claim and advice on your options.

Starting The Farm Accident Claims Process

When you start the farm accident claims process, your employer won’t deal with it themselves in most instances. It will be handed over to their insurance provider. Even in cases that appear clear-cut, insurers won’t pay out unless evidence is available to prove what happened. Even if you do have evidence, the insurer might try to reduce your settlement amount if there is any doubt about the extent of your injuries.

Therefore, we suggest having a personal injury solicitor who has the skills to present your case on your behalf. Our solicitors work hard to gather evidence to support each case they take on. They’ll communicate with the insurer throughout the case so that you don’t need to, and try to counter any objections raised. Importantly, they’ll make sure that you receive regular updates about your case too.

To find out more about your chances of making a successful farm accident claim with us, get in touch today by calling 0800 6524 881 today and you’ll receive a no-obligation case review and free legal advice about your options.