Defective Lawn & Garden Equipment

Akron Lawyer for Defective Lawn and Garden Equipment

Did a Defective Garden Tool Cause You Injury?

If you own a home with a yard, chances are you spend some time ensuring your lawn looks presentable and your backyard is properly maintained. Unless you hire a landscaper, you likely use your own lawn and garden equipment to mow the grass and manicure bushes and trees. While taking care of your lawn can be a pleasurable task, there’s also a risk of using defective lawn and garden equipment that can lead to serious injuries.

Defects in these tools can range from design flaws to manufacturing errors. When they malfunction, the consequences can be devastating.

It can be easy to assume your injuries were the result of clumsiness or the inherent risk that comes with using equipment with sharp blades, but that’s not always the case. If you believe your injury was a result of defective equipment, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim and seek compensation.

Examples of Defective Lawn and Garden Equipment

• Lawnmowers: Malfunctioning lawnmowers can lead to accidents such as blade disengagement, sudden accelerations or steering failures, causing severe cuts, burns and even amputations.
• Chainsaws: Defective chainsaws may have design flaws that can lead to kickbacks, chain breakages or malfunctioning safety features, resulting in deep cuts, lacerations and even fatal injuries.
• Hedge Trimmers: Faulty hedge trimmers can have issues with blade movement or guards, increasing the risk of accidental cuts, finger amputations or injuries to the limbs.
• Leaf Blowers: Defective leaf blowers can have issues with overheating, electrical malfunctions or sudden start-ups, causing burns, electrical shocks or even fires.
• Lawn Edgers: Malfunctioning lawn edgers can suffer blade jams, sudden movements or kickbacks, resulting in cuts, lacerations and potential eye injuries.
• Garden Tillers: Defective garden tillers can have issues with faulty controls, sudden accelerations or uncontrolled movements, causing falls, crushing injuries and even fractures.
• Pressure Washers: Faulty pressure washers may have defects in their hoses, connectors or valves, leading to high-pressure water spray accidents causing cuts, bruises and eye injuries.

Potential Causes of Defective Lawn and Garden Equipment

Lawn and garden equipment defects can be related to a variety factors related to design, manufacturing, and maintenance. When you file a defective product claim, the manufacturer may claim it was your negligence that caused your injuries, but that’s not always the case. One of the fundamental benefits of hiring a lawyer to help with your case is they can use their expertise to distinguish between user negligence and actual defects to determine liability for your injuries.

Design Flaws: Design flaws occur during the initial planning and engineering stages of the equipment. If a piece of equipment has a design flaw, it means there’s an inherent defect in its blueprint that can lead to safety hazards. For instance, a chainsaw with inadequate safety guards or a lawnmower with an unstable frame could be examples of design flaws. In such cases, the equipment’s inherent design poses a danger, and users cannot be held responsible for accidents resulting from these flaws.

Manufacturing Defects: Manufacturing defects occur during the production process. Even if the design is sound, errors in manufacturing, such as using substandard materials or faulty assembly, can render the final product dangerous. For instance, a lawnmower blade that wasn’t properly attached during assembly could detach unexpectedly, causing injuries. Manufacturing defects shift the responsibility from the user to the manufacturer for the accidents caused by the subpar equipment.

Inadequate Instructions or Warnings: A lack of clear instructions, proper warning labels or usage guidelines could lead to accidents caused by lawn and garden equipment. For example, if a leaf blower’s manual doesn’t properly instruct users on how to safely handle its powerful air stream, users might inadvertently direct the air towards their face, causing injuries. Inadequate instructions and warnings can be considered defects, and manufacturers have a responsibility to provide comprehensive guidance for safe usage.

User Negligence: In many instances, lawn and garden equipment injuries happen due to user negligence. For example, if someone uses a chainsaw without proper safety gear and sustains an injury, user negligence will likely be identified as the cause. In situations where operator negligence is to blame, injured individuals may not have grounds to seek compensation for their injuries, medical expenses and other damages.