If you’re a farm worker who’s been injured, lost wage hours or suffered the loss of a loved one due to an accident on a farm or working with farm equipment, you need answers to questions such as:
Q: I’m injured, what do I do now?
A: If you’re injured, seek medical help immediately and document exactly what happened during the accident. If possible, take photos of your injuries. Contact an experienced farm injury attorney who will explain your legal rights and options.
Q: I’m not an American citizen. Am I still eligible for compensation?
A: No matter what state you live in, what your work status is, or what your nationality is, the Farm Injury Resource Center can help you.
Q: If I contact the Farm Injury Resource Center, will my employer find out?
A: Your employer will not find out if you contact the Farm Injury Resource Center. We keep all your information confidential.
Q: Am I going to lose my job?
A: You have an unquestionable legal right to pursue a compensation claim if you are injured on the job, and there are many laws protecting injured employees from being terminated. Employers may not retaliate against you for filing a compensation claim.
Q: I was injured a while ago. Am I still entitled to compensation?
A: The law limits the time you have available to pursue a compensation claim, so it’s important to contact an experienced farm injury lawyer as soon as possible after an accident.
Q: I lost hours at work due to temporary injury, am I entitled to be paid?
A: If you’ve lost hours at work due to temporary injury, you may be entitled to compensation. Gather all your pay stubs and wage information from the year in which you were injured, and record the number of hours, days or weeks of work that you missed due to accident.
Q: My spouse died on the job. Am I entitled to compensation?
A: Lifetime benefits may be available for surviving dependent spouses and children if it can be established that a work accident is responsible for their death. Other compensation may include funeral expenses.
Q: I was injured at work, but I can still work part time. Can I be compensated for lost wages?
A: If a doctor declares you able to work part time after you are injured, you are still eligible to collect compensation to supplement your earnings until you are declared medically able to return to work full time. You may also be able to obtain compensation for other losses associated with your injury.
Compensation May Be Available
As we stress throughout this site, the vast majority of deaths and injuries that occur on farms happen while operating equipment. This is because farm machinery is not designed safely. Corporations continue to manufacture equipment with inadequate safety features and warnings. Consequently, injuries sustained as a result of working with farm equipment are rarely caused by farm who use them. That means: You are not at fault, and compensation may be available.
Types of Compensation
Farm who are injured or killed by faulty equipment may be eligible to receive payment for several types of compensation, including:
- Medical bills
- Skills training
- Lost income
- Physical suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disability benefits
- Death
Contact Us
If you are an injured farm worker, if one of your family members has been injured or died working on a farm, or if you have lost wages due to injury and you have questions about what to do next, contact us for a free and totally confidential consultation.