Farmer suffered fatal injuries after being headbutted by cow, coroner finds
A typically safety-conscious farm worker died after being headbutted by a cow while not wearing a helmet, a Tasmanian coroner has ruled.
Karl Wayne Stokes, a 50-year-old farm contractor from Tasmania, died after being fatally headbutted by a cow while working at Beattie-Lester Beef in Lileah. The coroner's investigation found that Stokes was riding an ATV and not wearing a helmet, which was unusual for the safety-conscious worker. The coroner, Madeleine Wilson, ruled that Stokes' failure to collect his helmet after returning home for lunch, likely due to his haste to return to work, contributed to the extent of his injuries.
Stokes was airlifted to Royal Hobart Hospital where doctors found severe traumatic brain injury, suspected left transverse sinus thrombosis, swelling, and a lumbar compression fracture. He died two days after the incident. The coroner noted that Stokes was a veteran farmer, experienced in mustering cattle and riding ATVs, and that Beattie-Lester Beef had clear safety policies, but limited guidance on cattle handling.
The coroner concluded that Stokes' death was directly caused by head injuries from the cow's headbutt and his failure to wear a helmet.
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