An unfortunate accident claimed the life of an Oklahoma farmer, according to KOCO.com.
The farmer, who was working in Jackson County, was operating a machine that compresses large amounts of cotton into bales at the time of his death. The specific details of the accident are unknown. The farmer was flown to an Oklahoma City hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.
Farming is a dangerous profession. Agriculture’s death rate is first among all occupations in the United States. Mining is second and construction is third. In 2007, the last year for which statistics were readily available, 715 deaths were attributed to agriculture and 80,000 disabling injuries occurred in the agriculture profession.
Up to 60 percent of farm injuries involve livestock. Most other injuries involve machinery, such as the tragic farm accident in Oklahoma, and these accidents usually happen during crop production. Many farmer deaths involve tractors.
Usually, when someone is hurt or killed on the job, such as this farmer, either the employee or their family is entitled to Oklahoma workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance protection under which employees give up their right to sue their employers for their injuries in exchange for workers’ compensation benefits.
This tragic Oklahoma farming accident illustrates the dangerousness inherent in certain professions, such as farming. If you have been injured in an Oklahoma farming accident or another Oklahoma on the job accident, contact the experienced Oklahoma City personal injury attorneys at the Maples Law Firm at (405) 705-5050. We can help you get the compensation you are owed.
