Defective Industrial Machinery and Tools
Those who work around or use industrial machinery, heavy equipment and power tools face unique dangers. Those dangers are significantly amplified when the equipment is defective in design or manufacture or when it does not have adequate safety features, warning labels or instructions.
Every year, 20,000 people are injured and 100 lose their lives because of forklift accidents alone. This alarming statistic does not even include the enormous amount of accidents from cranes, woodworking machines, agricultural machines, missing or faulty safety guards, faulty off switches, faulty conveyor belts, defective saws, defective nail guns, etc. that happen every single day.
What safety features should machinery and tools have?
• Cranes and forklifts should have seat-belts to protect operators in the event of a tip-over.
• Industrial machinery like punch presses, welders, grinders, saws, and lathes should have safety guards to keep limbs away from heat and moving parts. They should also have pressure release valves to prevent explosions.
• Bulldozers and backhoes should have kill switches and signals that warn others when the machine is backing up.
Injuries and Consequences:
When defective industrial machines and power tool accidents occur, the results are devastating. Hardworking people die, lose limbs, and suffer brain injuries, burns, spinal cord injuries, fractures and all other kinds of injuries. They frequently find it hard to return to their normal lives and jobs and require extensive medical treatment and physical therapy that can add financial stress to their list of problems.
If you have suffered a work injury in Missouri because of industrial machinery, heavy equipment or power tools, it is in your best interests to contact a Missouri products liability lawyer as soon as possible. A lawyer will conduct an investigation into whether the product’s design was flawed, see whether you can trace malfunctions to the manufacturer, and pursue every possible avenue of recovery.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a machinery or tool defect, please contact my office at 314-706-6013 for a free legal consultation to discuss your rights and how we can help you.