How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 44 severe cases involving harvesting and threshing machinery over the last decade. Amputations account for 41% of these injuries, followed by fractures in 34% of cases, reflecting the extreme force involved when equipment malfunctions or lacks proper guarding.
These incidents frequently result in permanent damage to your fingers and hands. The high rate of traumatic injury often requires extensive surgery and long-term rehabilitation, leaving you with significant medical expenses and potential loss of future earning capacity.
How these injuries happen
Most injuries occur when you are caught or entangled in running powered equipment during normal operation. This happens when safety guards are missing, bypassed, or poorly maintained, allowing your limbs to be pulled into moving gears, belts, or threshing mechanisms. Other incidents involve you being struck by machinery that activates unexpectedly while you are performing routine adjustments or cleaning.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 21 |
| 2 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 5 |
| 3 | Other fall to lower level | 4 |
| 4 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | 3 |
| 5 | Struck by running powered equipment— during maintenance, cleaning, testing | 2 |
| 6 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 2 |
| 7 | Direct exposure to electricity | 1 |
| 8 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Agriculture accounts for 52% of all reported incidents, as the daily operation of combines and balers requires constant proximity to high-torque moving parts. Manufacturing follows at 23%, where you may face similar risks while processing harvested materials or maintaining heavy baling equipment.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include you being caught in hoppers, struck by moving bars during adjustments, or suffering limb entrapment while clearing belt lines. These incidents often occur during routine maintenance or field operations where equipment was not fully powered down. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you understand your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FL | Arts & Entertainment | "An employee was working with a machine that collects grass clippings when their left hand was caught in the grass collecting hopper, resulting in lacerations to the hand and fingers." | |
| 2025 | PA | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was working on a bale accumulator attached to a tractor. While he was making adjustments, the accumulator activated. The bar of the accumulator struck him and dragged him to the side, and his right leg was run over. He suffered a broken femur." | |
| 2024 | MO | Manufacturing | "An employee burned two of their fingers on a glue heater bar in the baler." | |
| 2024 | KS | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was scooping corn into a combine in a corn field. The head of the combine caught the employee's left leg, fracturing the leg below the knee." | |
| 2024 | WA | Agriculture | "An employee was cleaning out the belt line on a corn husker machine underneath the gears when their right arm was caught in the gears, resulting in an amputation above the elbow." | |
| 2024 | TX | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was working on a potato piler. The employee's left hand came into contact with a live electrical line, and the employee suffered a third-degree burn." | |
| 2023 | ME | Agriculture | "An employee was attempting to move a rock from the rear tires of a potato harvester truck when the vehicle rolled over the employee's hand. The employee suffered a thumb amputation and a dislocated knee." | |
| 2023 | ID | Manufacturing | "An employee was using a sickle to clean vines and leaves from a conveyor. The sickle was caught by the machine and the tool struck the employee s hand, pushing it toward a sharp edge on the structure. Two fingers on his right hand were partially amputated." | |
| 2023 | WI | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was installing a fan on a potato harvester when their left middle finger was caught in the fan, amputating the fingertip." | |
| 2023 | WI | Manufacturing | "An employee was standing on a combine touching up paint before shipment when he fell and landed on his feet on the concrete floor. He sustained a left foot/leg fracture." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Workers' compensation is designed to cover your medical bills and lost wages for injuries sustained on the job, regardless of who was at fault. If you were injured by harvesting or threshing machinery, you are generally entitled to benefits for your recovery. An attorney can help ensure your claim accurately reflects the severity of your injury.
Employers are required to maintain equipment in a safe condition and provide necessary guards to prevent contact with moving parts. If a lack of guarding contributed to your injury, this may be a critical factor in your claim. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer met their safety obligations.
OSHA requires employers to report any work-related incident resulting in an amputation, hospitalization, or loss of an eye. If your injury falls into these categories, it is documented as a severe case. An attorney can help you navigate the complexities of these high-stakes claims to protect your rights.
Recovery from an amputation involves significant medical care, physical therapy, and potential long-term disability. You may be entitled to permanent partial disability benefits depending on the nature of your injury. An attorney can help you evaluate your long-term needs and negotiate for a fair settlement.