Lawnmower Crash – Injury Lawsuit Attorney

Lawnmowers are a familiar sight as the weather turns warmer, and most homeowners couldn’t imagine their lives without one. Unfortunately, lawn mowers are responsible for around 80,000 injuries per year according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Some of these accidents occur as a result of human error, while others are caused by manufacturer defects.

Lawnmower defects can lead to extremely serious injuries for the user and other people nearby. Those injuries include around 70 deaths per year by CPSC estimates. Most of the victims are children, who are killed in rollover crashes where the lawnmower knocks down the victim and rolls over them. With such serious consequences, it’s imperative that lawnmower companies follow the highest safety standards when it comes to manufacturing their products. When they fail in these duties, it is their responsibility to compensate victims and their loved ones for their losses.

Have you have been injured by a lawnmower or lost a loved one in a lawnmower accident? Then please call the lawnmower injury lawsuit attorneys of Normandie Law Firm. We look forward to advising you of your rights and helping you take legal action in your journey to recovery.

Injuries from Lawnmower Crash Accidents

Lawnmowers come in all shapes and sizes, but generally fall under two categories: walk-along mowers and ride-on mowers. Ride-on models weigh around 500 pounds, so they can do serious damage if they flip over or crash into someone. But walking mowers are dangerous as well, since the mower’s blades can damage or cut off limbs and parts of the feet in rollover crashes. Any of these accidents can result in one or more of the following injuries:

• Deep lacerations
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of limbs, fingers, and toes
• Broken bones and fractures
• Third degree burns
• Soft tissue injuries (damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments)
• Ankle sprain or ankle strain
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Fatality

If you or someone you know has been injured by a lawn mower, make sure to get medical attention right away. Even one of these injuries can have devastating long-term consequences if they are left untreated. Then, contact the personal injury lawyers of Normandie to learn about your legal options. Defective product lawsuits are complicated, and taking the wrong steps can invalidate your right to compensation. Thus, it’s important to consult an attorney who is experienced with lawnmower injury lawsuits.
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Possible Lawnmower Defects

Mechanical defects and design flaws by the manufacturer can cause a lawnmower to malfunction. In many cases, they fail to stop, causing a crash that can harm anyone in their path. Some of the most common lawnmower defects include:

• Defective on/off switch, which can cause the lawnmower to move on its own.
• Lack of safety mechanism to prevent lawnmower from reversing.
• Insufficient roll bars and stabilizers to protect the rider during a crash.
• Lack of automatic shut-off triggers to stop blades from turning when the user isn’t in the seat.
• Design flaws with walking mower handlebars, resulting in mowers slipping out of the user’s hands.
• Unclear or insufficient warning labels.
• Defective safety controls that stop the mower when the rider lets go of the handle.
• Structural issues that cause the mower to flip over when it hits something.

Other defects, like defective fuel tanks, can cause the lawnmower to explode in the event of a crash, or when it’s in operation. Severe burn injuries are associated with these accidents and manufacturers have a duty of care to prevent them from happening. That brings us to a crucial topic – manufacturer liability –which we will cover in the next section.

Manufacturer Liability in a Lawnmower Crash Accident

For a defective lawnmower lawsuit to be successful, you must: 1) prove that the manufacturer was responsible for a defect; 2) prove that the defect was directly responsible for your injury. As a result, the manufacturer is liable for your lawnmower accident and must compensate you for your injuries. This is much harder to prove than most people think, but to give yourself the best chance possible, make sure to take the following steps if you’ve been injured by a lawnmower:

• Seek medical attention right away so you can treat and document your injuries.
• Take photos of your injuries and the scene of the accident.
• Report the accident to the lawnmower company but DO NOT agree to a refund and DO NOT agree to return the product.
• Start organizing evidence of your losses, like medical bills and lost wages from your job.
• Contact a lawyer who has experience with defective product injuries.

You may be wondering if a lawyer is necessary, since you can file an injury claim with the manufacturer on your own. However, getting your claim approved is the hard part, particularly in the case of severe injuries requiring large amounts of compensation. As you can imagine, the manufacturer’s insurance company will scrutinize your claim and find any excuse they can to avoid paying you. Typically, they will base the rejection on liability issues, i.e., denying that their client is responsible for the lawnmower crash or rollover. They may engage in underhanded tactics, like accusing you of neglecting safety precautions or operating the lawnmower improperly.

Aside from the manufacturer, there may be other entities that are responsible for your lawn mower accident. Various parties are involved when it comes to product development, so the warehouse that physically made the product and the store where it was sold could also play a part in the cause of your injury.

On your own, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by these factors and agree to a settlement that won’t be enough for your needs. Our attorneys have the experience to go up against manufactures and their insurers, and will fight for the full compensation you deserve.

Compensation for a Defective Lawnmower Accident

We mentioned before that 80,000 people seek medical treatment for lawn mower injuries each year. According to Johns Hopkins University, most of these victims need hospitalization at a cost of $37,000 per patient on average. Those patients may also need surgery, medication, and physical therapy for many months after their accident. In addition, they may suffer from PTSD, insomnia, and depression if they’ve had an especially traumatic accident that resulted in severe burns or amputation.

Lawn mower injuries come at a heavy price, and the costs should be paid by negligent manufacturers, not the unsuspecting customer. A defective lawnmower lawsuit can help you recover:

• Medical costs associated with your recovery, now and into the future.
• Pain and suffering for physical pain and mental anguish.
• Lost wages from job loss or missed time from work.
• Future lost wages if you lose your job or can’t return to work.
• Loss of enjoyment of life if you lose the ability to do basic tasks or participate in activities you enjoyed prior to the accident.

How Can I Sue for Compensation?

If you have been injured by a defective product, you can choose to file an injury claim on your own with help from one of our attorneys. The other option is to file a class action suit by joining an existing class action. Or, you can start a class action and ask your attorney to find others who can join your lawsuit.

There are pros and cons to either type of legal action, which our attorneys will be happy to explain to you. For one thing, class action suits are filed by a large group of plaintiffs who have all suffered the same type of injuries from the same product. Class actions are typically filed after mass product recalls, like the recent recall on Husqvarna’s robotic lawnmowers on February 17, 2022. The recall was issued after complaints regarding the mower’s lithium ion battery, which can overheat and pose a risk of fire.

In spite of their benefits, class action suits can take longer to file, since you will have to find enough plaintiffs and have your lawsuit certified as a class action by the courts. For these reasons, many victims file a defective lawnmower claim on their own, which may be the best option for you. But you won’t know for sure until you speak with a knowledgeable product liability attorney.

For more information regarding your lawsuit options, schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers.

Wrongful Death Compensation

Believe it or not, lawnmowers are responsible for about 70 fatalities in the U.S. every year, especially among children and the elderly. Young children, for example, lack the reflexes to get out of the way when a lawnmower unexpectedly reverses or flips over. Additionally, they lack the size and strength to bear the weight of a lawnmower, making them more susceptible to severe injuries, including death. However, the size and weight of a riding mower can be fatal to adults as well. In many cases, the victim passes away days or weeks after the accident from brain damage, blood loss, or other serious injuries.

If you’ve lost a family member or loved one in a lawnmower accident, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death compensation claim. This type of legal action allows you to recover the following:

• Funeral expenses.
• Medical bills left behind by your loved one.

• Lost wages, benefits, and gifts that would have been received from the decedent.
• Pain and suffering to cope with the trauma of losing your loved one.

There are non-financial losses you can sue for as well, like the loss of love and companionship you would have received from your former partner. One of our wrongful death claims attorneys can discuss these options with you in detail and help you calculate a fair compensation amount. They can also assist you with complex situations, including filing for wrongful death as a divorced parent or an executor of the victim’s estate.

Consult a Defective Product Lawsuit Attorney

We know that money doesn’t make up for your losses, especially if that loss was a family member or loved one. Money will, however, pay for medical bills, therapy, and many other things that can help you recover and move forward with your life. As a victim, you should not be struggling with these losses when they were caused by someone else. That’s why our clients never pay upfront for any of our services. With our Zero fee guarantee, you don’t pay us a dime until we recover your injury award. So if we lose your case, you walk away without paying us a single penny.

Our lawnmower accident attorneys look forward to advising you and fighting for the damages you’re entitled to. Call us today and schedule your free consultation.