Philadelphia Lawnmower Accident Lawyer
The hum of a lawnmower is a familiar sound for anyone who grew up in the suburbs or in rural areas. It usually marked the beginning of summer, and often brings up memories of long summer days, playing outside, and backyard barbeques. Unfortunately, lawnmowers can also conjure horrifying memories for many victims and families that suffered catastrophic injuries or deaths in lawnmower accidents. Lawnmowers are powerful machines with sharp blades that can rotate at 200 mph. Every year around 37,000 people end up in hospital emergency rooms with severe lacerations, broken bones, crush injuries, burns, and amputated limbs from lawnmower accidents. Adults and lawnmower operators are not the only people at risk of serious lawnmower accidents. Each year 10,000 children are critically injured or killed as the result of an oftentimes preventable lawnmower accident.
Lawnmower accidents can occur when someone runs over another person, often resulting in shredded limbs or amputation. Some of the most severe accidents have occurred when someone operating a riding mower backs up, does not see a small child behind him, and runs over the child. Accidents also occur when a mower overturns either throwing the operator off causing broken bones, or crushing the operator beneath. Serious injuries may also arise when a lawnmower blade runs over an object like a rock or stick and propels it into the air, usually throwing the object with violent force. Lawnmower engines can also become extremely hot and faulty fuel lines may cause the mower to catch on fire or explode, causing serious burn injuries and permanent scarring.
Lawnmower accidents may also occur to due defective parts, manufacturing errors, flawed design, and lack of safety features and blade guards. Ruptured fuel lines, faulty blades, and malfunctioning switches can all result in preventable injuries and wrongful deaths. Thousands of lawnmowers are recalled every year due to reports of extremely hazardous defects like certain Black & Decker models, which have reportedly started their engines and blades on their own, even when the safety key designed to prevent the blade from moving was disengaged. Many advocacy groups have called for federal regulations that prevent riding mowers’ blades from working when they are put in reverse, since the most horrific accidents have occurred when small children have been backed over. Every lawnmower manufactured after 2004 is required to have "no mow in reverse" technology, but unfortunately many lawnmowers allow users to disable this safety feature, or override the controls to mow in reverse, and hardly any older models have this technology.
There are many safety features manufacturers could use to make lawnmowers safer, and reduce the number of catastrophic injuries and deaths caused by lawnmower accidents, but sadly, many manufacturers are more interested in their bottom line than consumer safety. Roll-over protection systems, like roll bars and cages, could potentially keep riding lawnmower operators safe from tip-over and crush accidents. Zero-turn-radius (ZTR) lawnmowers are popular for being extremely maneuverable, but are also known to tip over easily due to their design. Still, manufacturers have resisted implementing safer designs or rollover protection systems for ZTR lawnmowers. The technology exists for automatic shut off mechanisms, blade sensors, and blade guards, but many lawnmowers do not come equipped with these safety features.
If you or someone you love has been catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed in a lawnmower accident, the experienced Pennsylvania lawnmower accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily can help you investigate the accident and determine if a manufacturer’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident. Always advocates for consumer safety, our lawyers believe that if safety technology exists, manufacturers have a duty to use it and make their products as safe as possible for consumers. We understand the devastation, pain, and anguish that lawnmower accidents may cause, and we know you may be faced with enormous medical bills and possibly funeral costs. For over three decades, the experienced Philadelphia product defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily have fought to hold negligent manufacturers responsible for their careless actions, and have been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to cover medical bills, pain, suffering, lost wages, and lost quality of life. For a free, no-obligation consultation, contact us today.
