In the agriculture industry, both the “absolute number” and the incident rates for fatalities are amongst the highest of all industrial sectors, and continue to be a concern for the Health and Safety Authority. In the past five years, seventy five people have lost their lives on Irish farms – workers, visitors and children alike – and this figure relates to farm accidents only, with no consideration for fatalities due to farm-acquired diseases.
Fatalities on a farm are most frequently caused by an accident involving heavy farm machinery and slips and falls in their vicinity. Many of these fatalities could be prevented if farmers provided adequate training, supervision and protection for their employees and gave greater consideration to visitors to their farms. If you have lost a loved one or family member in an accident on a farm where you believe the farmer had been negligent in his duties, you are entitled to make a farm death compensation claim
Irrespective of whether the owner of a farm is classified as a farmer, proprietor or employer, he has a responsibility to ensure that his farm is a safe environment in which to work and to visit. There are many regulations that he has to adhere to in order to ensure public and employee safety. The slightest health and safety oversight, lack of planning or inadequate training which results in a fatality leaves him liable to a farm death compensation claim and, in these circumstances, it is always in your best interests to use the services of a specialist personal injury claims solicitor.
Making a Farm Death Compensation Claim
Despite the pain, trauma and heartbreak that is felt when you lose a loved one in a farming accident, the Injuries Board Ireland assesses your farm death compensation claim in exactly the same manner as if you had tripped over a paving slab on a poorly lit footpath – simply referring to a book of figures to assess what they consider is an appropriate amount for your loss. By having a solicitor work with you in the compilation of your assessment and in negotiations with the negligent employer´s/farmer´s insurance company, you are certain to receive a fairer compensation settlement which will provide for your family, even though it is no replacement for the loss of somebody so important to you.
A solicitor will be able to overcome obstacles that may arise in your farm death compensation claim due to the deceased´s employment status, contributory negligence or lack of consulting medical opinion at an early enough stage. A solicitor will also be able to guide you through all the processes involved in a farm death compensation claim at a time when your ability to fight these obstacles will be at its lowest due to your loss. Therefore, should you be in the distressing situation where you are considering a farm death compensation claim, it is always recommended that you speak with a solicitor.
In order to make this as easy for you as possible, we have set up a free advice telephone service which you are invited to call and speak with an experienced personal injury claims solicitor. You will be able to discuss the circumstances surrounding the deceased´s accident or farm-acquired disease and establish whether you are entitled to make a farm death compensation claim. We hope to be able to determine on the initial call if there is a case for compensation which is worth your while to pursue, and offer helpful and practical advice on how to go about it. All calls to our free advice service are treated in the strictest confidence and there is no obligation on you to proceed with a farm death compensation claim once you have spoken to us.
If you cannot speak now please fill in the form below and we will call you back.
What You Can Expect When You Call
We have many years of experience in dealing with workplace fatalities and in particular those that occur in a farm environment and you will find us sympathetic and respectful of your loss. Our initial aim is to determine whether you are entitled to make a farm death compensation claim, and to this end we would like you to tell us how the accident or injury occurred, what treatment if any was administered and where you believe the employer/farmer may be liable.
We will assess, wherever possible, the strength of your farm death compensation claim and answer any questions you may have about the processes involved. If there are any elements of the advice we offer which you do not fully understand, please do not hesitate to ask us to explain them again. It may well be to your advantage to compile a list of questions you wish to ask us before you call to ensure that every aspect is covered, but you are more than welcome to call us back if you think of anything else.
We usually conclude each conversation with a summary of what we have discussed and a selection of options which are available to you. It is often the case that clients wish to take a few days to absorb the advice we have offered and discuss our suggestions with other family members. There is no obligation on you to proceed with a farm death compensation claim. However, you should not take too long over making your decision as there is the risk that your claim may be time-barred.
Therefore, please call our legal claims advice helpline at your earliest convenience. We also offer a call-back service if you would rather that we called you. If this is the case, kindly complete your contact details in the form at the foot of the page and one of our dedicated and professional team will get back in touch.