Home improvement projects tend to come up time and time again. In many cases, people simply do not have the time or the energy to personally complete their home projects; therefore, they hire professionals. However, with recent events, many people have found themselves with a lot of free time and nothing to do – this has resulted in an increase in home improvement projects. People are renovating their kitchens, extending their porches, making home-made patio furniture, putting walls up, and taking walls down. Whatever the project, many different types of tools are involved. In most cases, individuals have little to no experience using the tools necessary to complete their projects.
Table saws and circular saws are often used in home improvement projects. However, this equipment is among the most dangerous for inexperienced individuals. In fact, even the most experienced individuals could suffer devastating injuries because of these dangerous tools. Although most table saw and circular saw injuries can be attributed to human error (not wearing protective equipment, being careless with the tools, etc.), some table saw and circular saw injuries can be associated with product defects. In other words, dangerous conditions in the tools could directly contribute to incidents that affect users.
Did you suffer a table saw or circular saw injury associated with a defective product? If so, you might have grounds to pursue a product liability lawsuit. If you would like to learn more about the possibility of filing a product liability lawsuit against the company that made a dangerous and defective table saw or circular saw available for purchase, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handing all sorts of claims, including product liability claims. Our lawyers are have many years of experience handling defective product claims and are not afraid to hold companies accountable for their negligent actions. If you would like to discuss your defective product claim with the product liability experts at our firm, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience; the experienced lawyers at our firm are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to pursue your claim.
Why Are Table Saws and Circular Saws Dangerous?
The large blades in table saws and circular saws spin at high speeds that allow material to be cut effortlessly. Table saws and circular saws are designed to quickly cut metals, plastic, and wood; however, this means that it could also quickly cut through flesh and bone. According to a study relating to table saw injuries, more than 30,000 table saw injuries occur every year. The most common types of injuries are lacerations in fingers as well as hands. However, many other types of injuries are possible. In general, table saw injuries, for example, can be categorized into blade contact injuries and non-blade contact injuries.
Blade contact injuries are the most common types of injuries. They consists of lacerations and amputations and account for approximately 85% of all table saw injuries. These injuries can result in nerve, muscle, and ligament damage. Although some injuries can be simple and heal with little to no difficulties, many injuries can potentially be complex and result in permanent loss of function, limited mobility, or chronic pain, for example. Non-blade contact injuries account for fewer injuries associated with table saw incidents. These injuries include blunt trauma (associated with kickback), eye injuries, respiratory injuries (associated with saw dust), as well as strains/strains (associated with handling the saw).
Because of the number of injuries that are associated with table saws and circular saws, there are a number of safety features that are often used. Some saws have guards to prevent kickback, thus preventing blunt trauma and lacerations associated with kickback. Other saws have complex systems to stop the blade almost immediately after coming into contact with flex. However, safety features are often expensive to install; therefore, manufacturers often forego these features.
In the past, victims of table saw injuries have filed product liability lawsuits against manufacturers. In these cases, claimants have argued that the products lacked safety features that could have prevented their injuries. In addition, claimants have argued that manufacturers have forgone important safety features simply to reduce the costs associated with making their product. Unfortunately, this is common – manufacturers do the bare minimum in terms of ensuring that their products are safe for consumer use.
Understanding Product Liability
In the past, a number of manufacturers have issued recalls for their table saws and circular saws; these manufacturers include Black & Decker, Sears Craftsman, and One World Technologies, for example. These products have been recalled due to a number of issues, including but not limited to the following: broken/faulty magnetic switches, broken riving knives, broken splinters, defective blades, defective blade guards, and for example.
What can you do if you were harmed by a defective table saw or circular saw? If you were injured by a defective table saw or circular saw, you might have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of the product. Based on product liability, all companies owe their products a duty of care; they must ensure that all their products are completely safe for their consumers to use. They have the duty to thoroughly test and inspect their products to address any potential hazards; they also have the duty to implement safety features to their products to limit the risk of injury.
When companies fail to ensure that their products are safe, they are breaching their duty of care. The breach of duty can contribute to an incident which can directly result in harm. Whenever a breached duty of care results in harm, the company could be held accountable for all the harm suffered. However, the defect must be present in design, labeling, or manufacturing.
If you were harmed as a result of a product defect, you could file a product liability claim. To learn more about your right to file a product liability claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
What Should You Do?
After being harmed by a defective product, it is essential that affected consumers take the appropriate steps to prepare to take legal action. The recommended actions include the following:
- Seek medical attention immediately
- Take photos of all visible injuries as well as the defective product
- Contact the company to report the defective product as well as the incident
- Do not agree to a replacement, a refund, a return, or a repair
- Speak to witnesses (gather their contact information)
- Gather all medical records
- Gather all records associated with the purchase of the defective product
- Gather information relevant to lost income caused by the injury
- Seek legal assistance immediately
When you follow the recommendations listed above, you are preparing to pursue a claim. If you are ever unsure of what you should do next, simply seek legal assistance at your earliest convenience. Our product liability experts are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to pursue your claim against the company that contributed to the harm that you suffered.
The Compensation Available
Without a doubt, monetary compensation cannot reverse the harm caused by a defective product; however, recovering compensation can certainly help you and your family move forward from such a traumatic event. The recovery of compensation could also ensure that you recuperate some of the financial losses associated with the incident. Some of the types of compensation that could be available for recovery could include the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Punitive damages
In the case of death, wrongful death damages might also be available. Such damages could include funeral and burial costs as well as loss of consortium.
To learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers are ready to aggressively fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim. Whether our lawyers have to take your claim to trial or negotiate a settlement, you can trust that our experts will not rest until you are rightfully compensated.
The Deadline to File a Table Saw Injury Product Liability Claim
Although you might have the right to sue based on the harm that you suffered and based on the concept of product liability, you could lose the right to sue entirely if you fail to take legal action within the appropriate length of time. This is because all claims are subject to a statute of limitations, which determines the length of time that claimants have to sue. In California, product liability claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants only have two years to file their claims. If claimants do not file their claims within the time allowed by the statute of limitations, they will lose the right to sue. However, it is important to note that exceptions could apply; this means that the applicable deadline could be tolled under some circumstances. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the statute of limitations that applies to your claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance at your earliest convenience.
Contact Normandie Law Firm Today
If you suffered a table saw or circular saw injury associated with a defective product, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers have many years of experience handling product liability claims and are ready to provide you with the representation necessary to reach a successful claim outcome. Our firm offers free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. These free legal services allow our experts to answer all your questions and address all your concerns; our product liability experts will give you the information that you need to begin or continue your claim. Our firm also offers a Zero-Fee guarantee, meaning that clients will not be required to pay upfront legal fees for our legal services. Our firm is also based on contingency; therefore, clients will not pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you are ready to discuss your claim with the experts at our firm, do not hesitate to contact us immediately.
