Table saws can be one of the most dangerous power tools, and every year some suffer injuries and amputations because of table saws. While irresponsible use of these tools is responsible for many of the injuries, some are attributable to defects or other shortcomings of the table saw.
Some argue that table saw manufacturers do not utilize available safety technology to prevent accidents. Those who are injured in table saw accidents may speak with an attorney at Gacovino & Lake to review their eligibility to take legal action. Call us at 800-550-0000.
The Dangers of Table Saws
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there was an estimated average of 29,000 table saw injuries that led to emergency room visits per year from 1991 to 2000. In the year 2001, there were 38,000 table saw injuries; in 2002, there were 38,980.
For obvious reasons, the majority of table saw injuries affect the arms, wrist, or fingers of a victim. The majority of these injuries result in lacerations, avulsions, amputations, or crush injuries. All of these injuries can be traumatic.
Flesh Sensing Safety Technology
Flesh sensing safety technology for table saws has been around for years. In a 2011 article in NPR News, the designer of SawStop, saw technology that forces a table saw to a stop within a millisecond of sensing a finger, said that many consumers don’t want to pay for the technology.
But it’s more than just the consumers, many saw manufacturers also don’t want to pay for the technology, and have chosen not to. As a result, many table saws available for consumer purchase and use today do not have the safety technology that could greatly reduce – if not entirely prevent – the number of serious injuries that table saws cause each and every year.
Liability for a Table Saw Injury
With thousands of people injured by table saws every year, it’s a wonder that table saw manufacturing companies haven’t taken action to make table saws safer. For many who have been injured by table saws, the injury hasn’t been the fault of the consumer; rather, some table saws are designed or manufactured with dangerous defects.
In fact, there have been a number of table saw recalls over the years. This includes the recall of 21,500 Ryobi portable table saws in 2010 because the lower guard could break and make contact with the blade during use. Bosch recalled 22,149 miter saws in 2012 for the potential misalignment of the blade on the motor carriage. These defects could present laceration hazards.
When a table saw is manufactured or designed with a defect that is dangerous for consumers, such as a defect that poses a risk of laceration hazard, the manufacturer may be liable for any injuries incurred by consumers.
If the injured consumer can prove that their injury would not have occurred but for the defective product, then the table saw manufacturer may be responsible for paying economic damages, like medical expenses and lost wages, and noneconomic damages, like pain and suffering. In the state of New York, a product liability suit for damages must be filed within three years, according to New York Code Section 214.
If you suffered a table saw injury, you’re not alone. Others before you have filed lawsuits against table saw manufacturers based on the failure of the manufacturer to provide a safe product, and have won. If you’ve been injured, you may have a winning case too.
Contact a Product Liability Lawyer at Gacovino & Lake
If you’ve been injured by a table saw and have questions about what you should do next, let the attorneys at Gacovino, Lake & Associates, P.C. assist you. Our attorneys can help you file a product liability suit for damages. For a free case review, call us today at 800-550-000.
