Galveston Tractor Accident Lawyer

Help After a Tractor or Farm Equipment Accident

Tractors are heavy, powerful, and unforgiving. A rollover, a caught sleeve in a power take-off shaft, or a crash with a slow tractor on a county road can change a life in seconds. A Galveston tractor accident lawyer at The Daspit Law Firm can find out what went wrong and who should be held responsible.

Call (281) 748-2044 for a free consultation, any time of day. We work on a contingency fee, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. We can visit you at home or in the hospital, and we serve clients in English and Spanish.

Where Tractor Accidents Happen in Galveston County

Galveston is known for beaches and the port, but tractors work across the county every day. They are used on ranch land and hay fields in Hitchcock, Santa Fe, and the rural edges of the county, on Bolivar Peninsula properties, and by lawn care and land clearing crews in League City, Dickinson, and Friendswood.

Tractors also work in industrial settings. Terminal tractors, sometimes called yard trucks or yard dogs, move trailers and containers at the Port of Galveston and at plants in Texas City. Construction crews use compact tractors and backhoes on job sites throughout the area.

Common Types of Tractor Accidents

•      Rollovers on slopes, ditches, levees, or soft ground

•      Power take-off (PTO) entanglement injuries

•      Runovers when a tractor moves unexpectedly or an operator falls off

•      Crashes with cars and trucks on farm roads, state highways, and FM roads

•      Being struck by attachments such as mowers, loaders, or augers

•      Terminal tractor collisions and pinning injuries in port and plant yards

•      Hydraulic failures that drop loaders or implements on workers

Who May Be Liable for a Tractor Accident

Tractor injury cases often involve more than one party. Identifying each one is part of building a full claim.

Equipment Manufacturers

A tractor may be sold without proper rollover protection, with a poorly guarded PTO shaft, or with faulty brakes, steering, or hydraulics. Texas products liability law allows injured people to pursue design, manufacturing, and warning defect claims. Our Galveston product liability page explains these claims in more detail.

Employers and Property Owners

Employers must provide safe equipment, training, and supervision. The federal government has long recognized rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seat belts as key protections on farm tractors; you can read more on OSHA's agricultural safety page. Skipping training, removing guards, or using worn-out equipment can be signs of negligence.

Other Drivers

Many roadway crashes happen when a driver comes up too fast behind a slow-moving tractor or tries to pass in a no-passing zone. Texas requires slow-moving vehicles to display the orange triangle emblem, and other drivers are expected to watch for them and adjust their speed.

Rental Companies and Repair Shops

Equipment rented for a job or recently serviced may have been returned to use with known problems. A rental company or repair shop that skipped inspections or repairs may share responsibility.

Texas Law and Tractor Injury Claims

Workers' Compensation and Non-Subscriber Employers

Texas does not require most private employers to carry workers' compensation insurance, and many farms and ranches choose not to. If your employer has coverage, you generally file a claim through the Texas workers' comp system, explained on our Galveston workers' compensation page.

If your employer is a non-subscriber, you may be able to sue them directly for negligence. Under Texas Labor Code §406.033, non-subscribing employers lose key defenses, such as arguing you were partly at fault or assumed the risk. Learn more about non-subscriber work injury claims.

Deadlines and Shared Fault

In most cases, Texas allows two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Outside the non-subscriber setting, Texas proportionate responsibility rules apply: you can recover if you are not more than 50% at fault, with your award reduced by your share.

Injuries and Compensation

Tractor accidents often cause crush injuries, amputations, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and deaths. Many patients are treated at UTMB Health John Sealy Hospital, a Level I trauma center. Depending on the case, compensation may include medical care, rehabilitation, lost income, loss of future earning capacity, pain and mental anguish, physical impairment, and disfigurement.

When a tractor accident takes a life, surviving spouses, children, and parents may have a wrongful death claim in Galveston. Injuries on job sites may also overlap with our construction accident work.

What to Do After a Tractor Accident

•      Get emergency medical care and follow up with every recommended treatment

•      Report a work injury to your employer in writing as soon as possible

•      Keep the tractor and attachments as they are; ask that they not be repaired or sold

•      Take photos of the equipment, the ground, warning labels, and missing guards

•      Write down the names of coworkers or witnesses

•      Avoid recorded statements to insurers until you have legal advice

How The Daspit Law Firm Can Help

Founding attorney John Daspit started his career as an insurance defense lawyer. He knows how insurers and equipment makers defend these cases, and he uses that knowledge for injured workers and families. We bring in engineers and safety experts when needed, send evidence preservation letters quickly, and prepare each case for trial in Galveston County.

Contact a Galveston Tractor Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one was hurt in a tractor or farm equipment accident, call (281) 748-2044 or send us your case details online. The consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we win. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue if I was hurt on a tractor at work?

It depends on your employer's insurance. If your employer carries Texas workers' compensation, comp is usually your main remedy against them, though you may still have claims against a manufacturer or other third party. If your employer is a non-subscriber, you may be able to sue the employer directly for negligence.

Who is responsible for a tractor rollover?

Responsibility can fall on the manufacturer if the tractor lacked proper rollover protection or had a defect, on an employer who failed to train or supervise, or on a property owner who created a dangerous condition. Many rollovers involve more than one cause. An investigation of the equipment and site is usually needed.

What if a car hit the tractor I was driving on the road?

You may have a claim against the driver and their auto insurer. Drivers must watch for slow-moving vehicles and adjust their speed. Photos of your slow-moving vehicle emblem, lights, and the scene help show you were visible. If you were working, workers' comp or a non-subscriber claim may also apply.

How long do I have to file a tractor accident lawsuit in Texas?

In most cases, two years from the date of injury for personal injury, and two years from the date of death for wrongful death. Workers' comp has its own shorter steps, including notice to your employer within 30 days. Product claims may also face a 15-year statute of repose.

How much does it cost to hire your firm?

Nothing up front. We handle tractor accident cases on a contingency fee, which means our fee comes from the recovery. If we do not recover compensation for you, you owe no attorney fee. Your first consultation is free and available 24/7 at (281) 748-2044.