How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 151 severe incidents involving agricultural tractors over the last decade. Fractures are the most common injury type, appearing in 42% of all reported cases and often requiring extensive medical intervention.
These injuries are frequently severe because of the heavy machinery involved. You may suffer from crushing injuries to your fingers, which can lead to long-term disability and significant time away from work.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Tractor injuries often occur when you operate equipment on uneven terrain or perform maintenance tasks. Many incidents involve the tractor rolling over or you being struck by the vehicle while it is in motion. Entanglement with running equipment and being compressed between the tractor and other objects also represent significant risks during your daily operations.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nonroadway noncollision incident | 33 |
| 2 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 32 |
| 3 | Other fall to lower level | 21 |
| 4 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | 18 |
| 5 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 11 |
| 6 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 9 |
| 7 | Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle | 7 |
| 8 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 5 |
Where injuries happen most
Agriculture accounts for 30% of all reported tractor incidents, reflecting the high frequency of equipment use in field operations. Wholesale trade and construction also report high injury rates, as these sectors rely on tractors for material handling and site preparation.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include equipment rollovers during field work, you falling while descending from the cab, and mechanical failures during repairs. Other recurring themes involve you being struck by moving equipment or attachments. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you evaluate your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FL | Agriculture | "An employee was operating an agricultural tractor when the tire was punctured and the tractor rolled over onto the employee. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured back and bruising to their heart and lungs." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was descending from a tractor when they fell backward and struck their lower back, left elbow, and head on the pavement, resulting in lumbar and scalp contusions." | |
| 2025 | WI | Other Services | "On May 29, at approximately 2:00 PM, an employee was installing a carburetor and adjusting the idle on an open station tractor. While working to start the tractor, the employee was standing on the concrete floor at the left side of the tractor. He placed his left hand on the clutch and used his right hand to turn the ignition key. When the employee removed their left hand from the clutch, the tractor drove forward, knocking him to the floor and pinning him under the left rear tire. The employee sustained fractures to their spine and multiple ribs, internal bleeding, and punctures to their lung and spleen." | |
| 2025 | WI | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was operating a tractor and utilizing a 2.5-foot kinetic rope and a 1-inch soft shackle to pull another tractor that was stuck in the mud. An additional 30-foot kinetic rope with a soft shackle was hooked up to provide distance from the soft soil. While pulling, the loop end of the terminal shackle on the stuck tractor frayed and released the rope, causing it to recoil back at the pulling tractor. The rope(s) struck the back of the pull tractor, broke the rear window, and struck the employee. The employee was pushed forward into the steering wheel and sustained severe lacerations to the head and a collapsed lung." | |
| 2025 | AL | Administrative Services | "An employee was moving a mower with a tractor bucket when the bucket slipped and struck another employee on the hand. The injured employee sustained a partial amputation of their left little finger." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was starting a tractor when it ran over their left leg. The employee suffered a crushing injury and fractures to the leg." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was repairing a tractor. The employee was using a screwdriver on the tractor, causing it to roll. The tire ran over the employee, who suffered seven broken ribs." | |
| 2025 | NY | Agriculture | "An employee was circulating liquid manure using a manure pump hooked to a tractor and became entangled in the power take-off and hydraulic hoses resulting in hospitalization for a right fibula fracture, two rib fractures, three fractures in the thoracic and lumbar spine, a scalp laceration and other abrasions." | |
| 2025 | MO | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing maintenance on an agricultural tractor. The tractor was started and moved forward. Its rear tire struck the employee, who suffered a broken leg, broken ribs, and a broken jaw." | |
| 2024 | PA | Real Estate | "An employee was backing up a tractor when it struck a dead tree, causing a tree limb to fall and strike the employee's head. The employee sustained facial lacerations and head trauma." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.