Workplace accidents: Tractor accident kills farm worker

The agricultural industry poses many hazards to workers on farms nationwide. Although the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health prescribes strict safety regulations, workplace accidents happen and lives are lost. The safety agency is investigating such an incident in which a farm employee in Monterey County was killed.

According to the sheriff’s office, the unfortunate incident occurred on a recent Monday morning. Medical response teams, Cal Fire and the California Highway Patrol responded to an emergency call that came in from a mushroom farm. A spokesperson reported that it appears a worker who was in his sixties was struck by a tractor that was operated by another employee thought to be about 52-years-old.

Reportedly, the victim suffered fatal injuries to which he succumbed at the scene. Authorities said the driver of the tractor was cooperating with the investigation. Cal/OSHA investigators will determine the employer’s compliance with safety regulations to determine whether safety violations caused this fatality.

Regardless of the findings by Cal/OSHA compliance inspectors, the surviving family members of deceased victims of workplace accidents can pursue financial relief through the California workers’ compensation insurance system. Some families choose to utilize the services of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to navigate the complicated administrative and legal proceedings of death benefits claims. The costs related to end-of-life arrangements are typically covered. Benefits also provide a financial package to the worker’s dependents to cover lost wages, which might ease the financial burden in the aftermath of the loss of a loved one.