Employment Law Employment LawD.L. by Friederichs v. Huebner, 110 Wis. 2d 581, 329 N.W.2d 890 (1983)In this case, a farmer employed a boy to help with threshing in violation of child labor laws. A chopper wagon amputated the boy’s hand and part of his arm. The boy sued the manufacturer of the chopper wagon and the farmer. The farmer argued that he was not liable due to the boy’s contributory negligence. Abrahamson held that Wisconsin’s child labor laws were aimed at protecting children from their own negligence. Allowing an employer to absolve himself from liability by asserting that a child was negligent would defeat that purpose. Return to Opinion Categories
Employment LawD.L. by Friederichs v. Huebner, 110 Wis. 2d 581, 329 N.W.2d 890 (1983)In this case, a farmer employed a boy to help with threshing in violation of child labor laws. A chopper wagon amputated the boy’s hand and part of his arm. The boy sued the manufacturer of the chopper wagon and the farmer. The farmer argued that he was not liable due to the boy’s contributory negligence. Abrahamson held that Wisconsin’s child labor laws were aimed at protecting children from their own negligence. Allowing an employer to absolve himself from liability by asserting that a child was negligent would defeat that purpose.