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Farming Injury Claim

If you work on a farm, you are engaged in the most hazardous industry in Ireland, according to statistics released by the Health and Safety Authority. In their latest report, almost one third of workplace fatalities were due to a farming injury, and the dangers of working in a sometimes treacherous outdoor environment are compounded by the number of accidents involving livestock.

Because of the dangers of working on a farm, employers have to provide a greater level of protection against a farming injury, and there are a number of specific regulations in place to ensure that they do. These not only include the secure management of their animals and regular safety inspections of their vehicles and machinery, but also providing employee protection against a farming injury that can be caused by using pesticides, chemicals and veterinary medicines.

Occupational injuries such as industrial asthma, vibration white finger and dermatitis are a quite common farming injury and can develop over a period of time. If you suspect you may have acquired a farming injury of any nature, your first move should be to have a medical examination. If you mention your occupation to your doctor, he will be able to confirm whether or not you do indeed have a farming injury and, where this has been caused by a lack of care by your employer, you may be entitled to make a farming injury compensation claim.

Making a Farming Injury Compensation Claim

Claims for compensation in respect of a farming injury are best done with the assistance of a specialised personal injury* claims solicitor. Even when an employer admits liability for your farming injury, there are a number of issues surrounding a claim for compensation that you should be aware of. Your employment status may affect the level of compensation you will be entitled to if it actually transpires that you are self-employed or on a short-term agency contract. Also, it may be the case that the Injuries Board Ireland (to whom all farming injury compensation claims are sent initially) assesses your farming injury inaccurately – leaving you with insufficient funds to support your family.

A further issue can be “third party capture”. This is when you are approached by your employer´s insurance company with an offer of compensation in return for early settlement. Although an immediate cash sum may be welcome in an industry which is not renowned for its high level of wages, you need to be certain that their offer of compensation is fair in respect of your farming injury, and includes an amount to replace any loss of earnings.

We have set up a dedicated advice line which you are welcome to call before, during or after making a farming injury compensation claim. Our legal claims advice helpline allows you to discuss your farming injury with one of our experienced solicitors and receive some impartial and practical advice. At a time when your farming injury may have impaired your ability to compile a comprehensive application form, you will find the information available to you on our free advice line not just helpful but invaluable.

What You Can Expect When You Call

When you call our legal claims advice helpline, our primary objective is to determine whether you have a claim for farming injury compensation which is worth your while to pursue. We will try to do this in the most straightforward manner that we can – conscious of the fact that you have just suffered a major physical trauma and may still be in a great deal of distress.

We will ask you to tell us how you acquired your farming injury, what treatment you received for it and how you believe your employer was negligent or what measures he could have introduced to have prevented it. Our conversations are completely confidential, so you need not worry about any of this getting back to him.

You are invited to ask any questions that you may have which are relevant to your farming injury claim for compensation and, should you have received conflicting advice from well-meaning family and friends or there is part of our advice which you do not entirely understand, please let us know and we can go through specific areas again and explain them in a clearer manner.

We tend to conclude each telephone conversation with a list of options to suit your personal circumstances. You are under no obligation to act on any of our suggestions and may want a few days to absorb our advice and discuss the matter with your family. Please note that if you think of further questions after your first call to us, you are welcome to ring back.

The Statute of Limitations allows two years from the “date of knowledge” of your farming injury in which to make a claim for compensation. We would advise that you do not take full advantage of this time allowance, as the memories of witnesses may fade and outdoor physical evidence will be affected by the elements.

Our free advice telephone service is available seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day. If it is not a convenient time for you to speak with a solicitor right now, please complete the call-back box below, indicating a more suitable time to call, and one of our friendly and helpful team will be in touch.