Log skidder accident

Loggers use an industry-specific type of equipment, called skidders, to pull felled trees out of the forest. As you can imagine, this seems like an inherently dangerous occupation and requires the most precautions as possible. If you or a loved one has been in a log skidder accident, contact us for a free consultation to see if you may be entitled to compensation.

What kind of accidents or injuries can result?

It is imperative that tow trucks are regularly maintained and inspected to ensure that they are as safe as possible to operate in practical situations. Otherwise, the entire skidder can break down in a second due to a careless mistake.

A skidder accident may occur if the driver is inexperienced, unqualified, or poorly trained. Skidder drivers require a certain amount of knowledge about the industry and the equipment involved in order to know what is the right way to operate one legally and safely. These accidents can lead to a loss of control and may include bruising, broken bones, fractures, whiplash, concussions, neck or back injuries, or death.

Some old skidders that were made prior to 1991 did not have adequate protection for the driver – they even lacked safety doors and/or safety rails. This can cause a person to fall out of the skidder and be crushed by the skidder’s own force.

Skidders may have flaws that affect certain common parts to be defective or malfunctioning. For instance, the brakes may be defective, which can be so serious that it can drive someone off of a hill and kill them. The skidder may malfunction and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle which can cause plenty of property damage as well as injuries like crushing injuries, broken bones from being thrown off of the skidder, brain injury, neck injury, and death. 

Who is liable?

These cases are based on negligence, which is determined by finding if the other party owed you a duty of care, breached that duty of care, your injuries directly resulted from their actions, and you suffered actual damages and losses.

If the accident was due to a lack of proper maintenance and inspection, the employer can be held liable, once more, since that is their duty to provide a safe working environment for their employees. Ultimately, failing to do so is negligent and leaves them liable for the accident. If the truck has a defective part, its manufacturer or product manufacturer can be held liable under product liability laws. The manufacturer would be responsible for releasing a defective and potentially dangerous product to the public. Also, the manufacturer of the skidder can be liable if there are no warning signs or precautions to protect people from the dangers of older models of skidders.

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Helping our clients is about counseling, advocating, and ultimately solving problems. With years of experience successfully representing the people, not the powerful, we will take care of the insurance adjusters, your medical bills, your property damage, your lost wages, and monitor your treatment so you can focus on healing and getting your life back to normal. Our unique formula has earned us over 950 outstanding client reviews on our website, an A+ BBB rating, and over 130 five-star reviews on Google. Call 888-572-0176, email us at michael@agrusslawfirm.com, or schedule a meeting with us here. We’re here 24/7.