Almost 50% of the nation’s farmworkers reside in California. The farming industry is labor-intensive and employs large numbers of people on a temporary or seasonal basis. The pay is low and the work is hard. Most of the labor laws protecting workers in other industries do not apply to farmworkers. The work can involve persons using heavy equipment and machinery that they may not be adequately trained to use. Persons working in the farming industry have a 40% higher chance of being injured than all other workers in the US. More than 240 farm workers each day suffer an injury that prevents them from working. And 5% of those injuries result in a permanent disability.
The Encino amputation accident lawyers at Law Offices of Kropach & Kropach have seen how devastating an amputation accident can be and how drastically it changes a client’s life.
When a farming accident occurs, it is 2.5 times more likely to result in amputation than in any other type of injury. Farming involves using equipment that is pretty dangerous and a lot of times proper training and equipment safety features are lacking. So when accidents occur, they tend to cause some pretty serious injuries.
The Valadao Dairy learned this recently when they were found 80% responsible for an accident that resulted in an employee losing his arm just below the elbow. US Farm Systems, the manufacturer of the equipment that injured the employee, was responsible for the other 20% of his injuries.
The employee had been cleaning a manure separator when he slipped and fell into the machine’s auger which was operating and severed his arm. Valadao Dairy was held primarily responsible because the employee had not been properly trained on how to clean the machine and wasn’t aware that it should always be turned off before being cleaned. US Farm Systems was given a portion of the liability because their equipment did not have appropriate safeguards that might have prevented the injury.
What happened at Valadao Dairy was not at all unusual. Typical ways contact with farm equipment can result in an injury requiring amputation include being
An employment injury that requires an amputation will be life-changing. A part of the body is gone and with it a lot of how a person was used to operating in the world. It can require changes in every aspect of a person’s life in order to accommodate this new reality. Hospital stays can be lengthy. Rehabilitation can be ongoing. Modifications may need to be made in every area of a person’s life.
Generally, the costs associated with an amputation are going to be high and trying to project what will be necessary for the future takes experience and expertise. You must have the assistance of someone who knows the resources you will need to try and live your life as fully as you can without a vital part of you that is now gone.
At the Law Offices of Kropach & Kropach, we understand that not everyone will experience the trauma of an amputation accident in the same way. Our Encino amputation accident attorneys want to know your story so that we can help you recover what you need to manage the rest of your life. We will make sure that every possible issue or expense is addressed and you receive the compensation necessary to take care of yourself and your future. Contact us here for a free consultation to discuss your case or call us at 818-609-7005.
