Farm Injury Attorney
Agricultural work remains among the most dangerous occupations in America, with grain bin accidents representing some of the most devastating incidents on farms. These confined space tragedies occur with alarming frequency, leaving families shattered and workers facing life-altering injuries or wrongful death. When negligence contributes to a grain bin accident, victims and their families have legal options to pursue justice and financial recovery.
The Lyon Firm is investigating farm accidents that involve grain vacuum injury, grain bin entrapment and grain collapses. Our attorneys are well-versed in settling high-value agriculture injury cases for plaintiffs nationwide.
In the last 20 years, almost 180 people — including teenagers — have died in grain entrapment accidents at federally regulated facilities. The farms and employers responsible were fined just over $9 million, though regulators later reduced the penalties in many cases.
Dozens of grain bin entrapment accidents occur annually and many result in a fatality. The primary cause of grain entrapment occurs during loading, unloading and storage when a worker enters a bin or silo while equipment is running. Frozen, spoiled or unstable grain is a major factor in grain bin entrapment accidents.
Electrical and mechanical hazards are also a concern, as are malfunctioning augers, dryers, stirrers and other farm equipment. Falls have also resulted in grain bin injuries and deaths.
Grain Bin Entrapment
Grain entrapment, also known as grain engulfment, occurs when a worker becomes submerged in grain. Engulfment accidents frequently occur in grain bins, silos, grain elevators, or freestanding piles of grain. Unstable grain may collapse suddenly, burying workers and may quickly suffocate or crush them.
Grain bins are designed to store low moisture grains while high moisture grains are stored in tall silos which present their own safety hazards. Some of the same hazards that are seen in grain bins are also present in grain storage silos.
For example, high moisture grain will have the same flowing grain hazard as low moisture grain. The following information relating to grain bins can also be applied to silos used to store grain. Grain entrapment risks may include:
- Flowing grain entrapment
- Grain bridge collapse
- Grain wall collapse
- Grain vacuum accident
Flowing Grain Accident
An auger can be used to move grain from the bottom of a bin into a vehicle or storage container. When the auger is running, grain flows out and creates a funnel with the grain flowing in a column below the surface. In a large amount of grain and powerful auger, a worker can be pulled down into the contents quickly and suffocated.
Grain Bridge Collapse
A grain bridge can be a dangerous entrapment hazard. Poorly maintained grain can harden into a mass and create cavities or grain pockets. The cavity below a grain mass it is commonly referred to as a “grain bridge” and can give way while trying to break the crust.
Grain wall avalanches are a similar hazard. When workers break a hardened mass of grain, a wall of grain can completely engulf them.
Common Causes of Grain Bin Accidents
Many grain bin tragedies stem from preventable safety failures. Inadequate safety training leaves workers unaware of engulfment risks and proper entry procedures. Employers who fail to provide essential safety equipment like harnesses, lifelines, and respiratory protection put employees in grave danger. Walking on grain bridges, crusted grain surfaces that appear solid but can collapse without warning, causes numerous entrapments each year.
Equipment malfunctions contribute significantly to these incidents. Poorly maintained augers, conveyor systems, and ventilation equipment create hazardous conditions. When mechanical failures trap workers or create explosive atmospheres, equipment manufacturers and maintenance companies may share liability. Violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations regarding confined space entry, lockout-tagout procedures, and atmospheric testing frequently factor into grain bin accident cases.
The pressure to complete harvest operations quickly sometimes leads farm owners to cut corners on safety protocols. Ordering workers into bins without proper confined space permits, atmospheric testing, or standby rescue personnel constitutes negligence that can support legal claims.
ABOUT THE LYON FIRM
Joseph Lyon has 17 years of experience representing individuals in complex litigation matters. He has represented individuals in every state against many of the largest companies in the world.
The Firm focuses on single-event civil cases and class actions involving corporate neglect & fraud, toxic exposure, product defects & recalls, medical malpractice, and invasion of privacy.
NO COST UNLESS WE WIN
The Firm offers contingency fees, advancing all costs of the litigation, and accepting the full financial risk, allowing our clients full access to the legal system while reducing the financial stress while they focus on their healthcare and financial needs.
Grain Vacuum Accidents
Grain vacuums are used to move grain for various reasons. A large, powerful grain vacuum can move thousands of pounds of grain per hour. The machinery, if not operated properly, can cause serious injury or death. Workers have been sucked into grain bins and engulfed. Grain vacuum and entrapment accidents occur almost exclusively when grain is being moved.
Grain Entrapment Prevention
It takes mere seconds to become completely engulfed in a grain bin in some circumstances. Once a farm worker becomes entrapped, it takes much a great amount of force to remove them. Some basic safety guidelines include:
- Do not work alone around grain bins or associated machinery.
- Ensure the auger power is off, locked and tagged so that no one else starts the auger while you are inside a bin.
- Use a lockout and tag out system.
- Wear a full body harness attached to an anchor point outside the bin.
- The easiest way to prevent a grain entrapment is to not enter a a grain storage area.
- Store grain properly so hands-on maintenance is not necessary.
- Properly train your workers on the hazards and safety measures in place.
- Place entrapment warning decals on grain bins and grain transport vehicles.
- Install emergency shut-offs for grain vacuums. Grain vacuum manufacturers should develop an emergency stop device.
- Train employees and vacuum operators about the hazards in working with spoiled grain.
- Equip workers with a safety harness and other fall protection equipment.
Compensation Available for Grain Bin Injury Victims
Grain bin accidents typically result in catastrophic consequences requiring extensive medical intervention. Victims may face prolonged hospitalizations, multiple surgeries, rehabilitation therapy, and permanent disabilities affecting their ability to work and enjoy life. Compensation in these cases should address all economic and non-economic damages flowing from the incident.
Medical expenses often reach hundreds of thousands of dollars when treating suffocation injuries, crush injuries, burns from explosions, or traumatic amputations. Future medical care needs must be calculated and included in settlement demands. Lost wages and diminished earning capacity become critical components when injuries prevent return to agricultural work or any employment. Pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of life enjoyment deserve substantial compensation given the horrific nature of these accidents.
Wrongful death claims arising from fatal grain bin incidents allow families to seek compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and the immeasurable loss of companionship and guidance. Punitive damages may be available when employer conduct demonstrates willful disregard for worker safety.
Why The Lyon Firm Should Handle Your Grain Bin Accident Case
At The Lyon Firm, we bring specialized knowledge of personal injury law and a track record of securing substantial recoveries for industrial accident victims. These cases require understanding of complex OSHA regulations, grain handling operations, and the engineering aspects of storage facilities. Our attorneys conduct thorough investigations, working with safety experts, engineers, and medical professionals to build compelling cases.
We recognize that agricultural businesses often carry substantial insurance coverage or have significant assets, but insurers typically fight these claims aggressively. Our firm has the resources and determination to take cases to trial when necessary, and insurance companies know we won’t accept inadequate settlement offers.
Time matters critically in grain bin cases. Evidence at accident scenes can be disturbed, witnesses’ memories fade, and regulatory investigation reports become finalized. We act quickly to preserve evidence, interview witnesses, and secure expert analysis before crucial information disappears.
Our contingency fee structure means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. This arrangement allows families facing medical bills and lost income to access top-tier legal representation without upfront costs. We handle every aspect of your claim while you focus on recovery and supporting your family through this difficult time.