A north-west Tasmanian farm worker who was headbutted by a dairy cow while riding a quad bike likely made his injuries worse by not wearing a helmet, a coroner has found.
Karl Wayne Stokes, 50, was working at Beattie-Lester Beef at Lileah on August 1, 2024, ushering cows into a yard with a farm hand when one animal strayed down a laneway.
He drove slowly towards the cow on his all-terrain vehicle to collect it.
“He pulled up on the right-hand side of the cow, between it and the fence,” Coroner Madeleine Wilson said.
“Mr Stokes went to drive past the cow, but it turned towards him and struck him to the head with her head.”
Stokes fell from the vehicle face down and did not move.
He was airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital where scans revealed severe traumatic brain injury, skull fractures and bleeding.
A neurosurgeon advised the injuries were not survivable and Stokes died two days later.
Wilson found that Stokes had returned home briefly before the incident wearing a full-face helmet, which he left on a church pew outside his front door as was his habit.
His daughter said he appeared to be in a rush, mentioning a poor night of sleep and a long list of jobs.
“Mr Stokes made some toast and left the house eating it. He did not collect his helmet,” Wilson said.
The coroner said she was satisfied Stokes usually wore a helmet and witnesses described him as a “patient and safety conscious worker”.
“I find that Mr Stokes’ failure to collect his helmet after returning home for lunch was uncharacteristic and likely an oversight, due to him rushing to return to his work duties,” she said.
Wilson found Beattie-Lester Beef had clear helmet policies but provided limited instruction on cattle handling.
She did not consider this contributed to Stokes’ death, given his 35 years of farming experience.
No recommendations were made.
Stokes is survived by his wife and three children.
“I convey my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr Stokes,” Wilson said.
