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INDUSTRIAL, FARM, AND RANCH ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES


Summary:

Nebraska, and the Panhandle in particular, is a rural, agriculturally driven region. Many of our citizens spend much of their time tending cattle and working the land. Unfortunately, though the lightly rolling hills of the Great Plains are peaceful, our lives sometimes are not: accidents and disagreements come up. Be it a broken contract to sell corn, a disagreement about running cattle, or an accident involving farm equipment, the law provides us with solutions. Over the years, The Robert Pahlke Law Group has experience taking, trying, and winning agricultural lawsuits—at trial and in front of the Supreme Court of Nebraska. Our agricultural cases are listed below.

Cases:

1. Grote v. Meyers Land & Cattle Co.

16 year-old boy worked at defendant’s ranch. While at work, a horse kicked him, causing a severe skull fracture, near complete loss of vision in the left eye, and permanent brain damage. The ranch claimed the boy was guilty of assumption of risk and contributory negligence when he didn’t let go of the halter rope in the split second before the yearling kicked him in the head. Renowned horse trainer Charlie Hill, in explaining to the jury why the boy did not and could not release the halter in that split second said, “The devil we know isn’t as bad as the devil we don’t know.” In court, the boy’s family won a $250,000 verdict.

2. Gottsch Feeding Corp. v. Red Cloud Cattle Co.

Gottsch Feeding had a contract with Red Cloud allowing it to keep its cattle on the defendant’s land and under the defendant’s care for four years. Early in the contract term, defendant’s care was negligent and inadequate, resulting in the herd being underweight by some 170,000 pounds. Based on a contract action, plaintiff won more than $50,000 in court. In arguing before the Supreme Court of Nebraska, Mr. Pahlke entered the courtroom with a verdict of more than $40,000 against his client; after the court heard his argument and decided, he won $50,000—erasing the $40,000 verdict with a nearly $100,000 swing.

3. Val Streeter v. Ameriequip

- While operating a tractor-powered posthole digger, the power takeoff shaft grabbed Val and caused a traumatic amputation of her arm and de-gloving facial injuries. Confidential settlement.

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