Rear Tractor Rollover /Flip-Over Kills Operator
On 24 March 1997, a 67-year-old farmer died of massive internal trauma after his Ferguson Model TO-30 tractor rolled over (flipped over) backward, pinning him between it and another tractor. He and his 13-year-old grandson had been working with a tractor and rotary mower, but got stuck in the mud of a creek bed; approximately one-third of the rear tractor tires were buried in mud. He had gotten a second tractor, attached a chain from the rear of it to the front of the first tractor, and had just begun to try and pull the tractor out when the incident occurred. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel arrived, found no signs of life, and called the coroner, who pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
Possible Measures to Prevent Farm Tractor Rollovers
• Require that all tractors be equipped or retro-fitted with rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seatbelts;
• Install front-end counterweights be used to lower the center of gravity and improve traction and stability
• Educate the farm tractor (Full time and weekend operators) on the dangers of sudden rollovers when pulling tree stumps, rocks and other stuck or secured objects.
• Educate farm tractor operators of the physics of a flip over or rollover when the rear wheels are stuck in mud or prevented from easily rotating
• Educate and warn farm tractor operators of the dangers of pulling anything from any area higher than the drawbar or higher than the pulling point recommended by the manufacturer.
Farm Tractor Rollover & Flip-Over Accidents
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed in a farm tractor rear rollover or rear flip over, then call for a free confidential consultation about a possible product liability or lack of warnings case. Talk to a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Willis is also experienced in the use and operation of farm tractors and currently owns and uses farm tractors on a regular basis. Call Toll Free 1-800-883-9858.