We can help you claim
compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
Farm work can often involve manual labour and being in the vicinity of heavy machinery, but it is not always the perhaps more obvious risks of the job which cause injury and subsequent farm accident compensation claims to be made.
Farmers who tend to animals often store hay in a large barn to keep the bales as dry as possible so that they can be used as bedding and food for livestock.
There are two types of hay bale – large wheel-shaped bales, and smaller rectangular ones. The smaller size bales are usually around one metre in length, can weigh anything from around 27kg (four stone) to 59kg (nine stone), and are stacked, or "bucked", into barns by hand..
Larger bales are normally seen out in fields, are close to two meters in height, can weigh 900kg (142 stone) and need specialist equipment to move them.
Around 15 per cent of all farming accidents are caused by moving or falling objects – and hay bales cause a share of these injuries.
Incorrectly stacked hay bales are prone to collapsing onto an individual, and poorly secured large bales can role off of a vehicle which is transporting them.
A victim who suffers injury from a larger hay bale is likely to sustain serious injuries which could even result in death – as was the case for one unfortunate Devonshire farmer in December 2010, who was crushed by a 200kg bale and whose fractured ribs caused him to contract pneumonia and later pass away in hospital.
Even lighter bales can cause severe personal injury. One 59kg bale is heavy enough to cause harm, but if many of these bales fall onto a person they could suffer life-changing injuries.
Some farms are open to the public and make a lot of their money through families coming to hand-feed the animals and enjoy the countryside, but often these families bring young children and so it is even more important that bales are stacked correctly and secured in place.
Children can potentially suffer much greater damage if a heavy weight lands on them, and are likely to climb up the bales if a hay-barn is left open to them. To a child, an area containing large blocks of hay piled up to form steps and walls is an exciting playground and they do not see the risks.
A farmer should make sure that hay bales, both large and small, are securely stacked or fastened in a barn or on vehicles moving them from one part of the farm to another. Both the general public and farm employees could suffer as a result of negligence to safety in this area.
Farm accident compensation
If you have sustained a personal injury as a visitor or a farm-hand due to unsecured bales of hay, one of our expert no win no fee lawyers could help you receive 100% compensation for your pain and loss of earnings.
Contact us today about your farm accident compensation claim on 0800 10 757 95, request a call back or alternatively fill in a short online claim form or use live help. Our services won't cost you a penny and we make sure to explain the legal process in plain English.
Above all, we are here to help.
