Wisconsin farm accidents result in severe and even fatal injuries every year. In 2020, researchers looked at a comprehensive collection of data on farm accidents and associated injuries and deaths. As this information is being made available, the agriculture industry and workers in that field are recognizing that injuries and fatalities in the agricultural business are occurring more frequently than a decade ago.
Wisconsin farm fatality statistical overview
When it comes to farm accidents, the last year that farm fatality statistics were collected and analyzed was 2006. In that year, 25 farm fatalities were registered. As analysis of farm accidents has resumed, researchers have thus far considered the fatality rates in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, 41 Wisconsin farm fatalities were reported. In 2018, the number was 34 deaths.
Research and analysis are ongoing for both 2019 and 2020. The belief is that the number of farm fatalities in those years is also likely to be higher than in 2006.
Most common types of farm fatalities
In 2017 and 2018, the most common type of farm-related fatality was a roadway accident involving farm equipment. About 29% of the 34 fatalities in 2018 were from this type of incident. The other most frequently occurring types of farm accidents that resulted in deaths were:
- Fire
- Falls
- Blunt trauma
- Machine entanglements
Machine entanglements were ranked as the second most frequently occurring type of fatal farm accident. These resulted in five deaths altogether in 2018.
Workers injured in farm accidents might best protect their legal interests by engaging the services of an experienced Wisconsin personal injury attorney. The same holds true for family members of farmer workers killed in these types of accidents.