I was recently working on a farm when I fell off a ladder, breaking my leg in the process. Can I make a claim for an accident while working on a farm?
Your eligibility to make a claim for an accident while working on a farm may depend on who is responsible for your injuries. Your employer may reject liability for your injury and insist that your own carelessness was the cause of the accident. This may be the case if you were using your own ladder on the farm, or if you used a ladder which you knew was dangerous. However it may be the case where your employer provided you with a ladder which – unbeknownst to you – posed a health and safety hazard. If this is the situation your employer may be the liable party in your injury.
Your immediate priority after your accident should naturally be to seek medical attention. If a delay has occurred in receiving medical attention the compensation to which you may be entitled may be reduced due to your own carelessness. By seeking medical attention you are not only ensuring that your injuries do not worsen, but also safeguarding the amount of compensation to which you may be entitled.
If you wish to claim for an accident while working on a farm, you are advised to contact a personal injury lawyer after acquiring medical assistance. An injury on a farm may be a difficult claim, especially if there are no witnesses or CCTV footage. Your claim can be further complicated if you need to establish who the claim is to be made against – whether the farmer who owns the farm, the owner of the ladder or your employer if you are a contractor with an agency. As these issues can be complex, a personal injury lawyer should be contacted at the first available opportunity following medical attention.
Your accident should be noted in the “Accident Report Book” of your employer, which can be used in order to support your claim for an accident while working on a farm. You may also receive an unsolicited offer of compensation from your employer’s insurance company, in exchange for an immediate settlement of your claim. However there is a strong likelihood that the insurance company is seeking to settle your claim for the lowest sum possible, and therefore leaving you short of a considerable amount of compensation. Before you accept any such offer of compensation – and to ensure that you are rewarded a fair amount – you are advised to contact a personal injury lawyer at the earliest opportunity in order to resolve your claim to satisfaction.