Power tools come in a number of different shapes and sizes and are used for a number of different purposes by a number of different hands. The aim of products liability law is to protect everyone, but consumers may wonder what types of products the law refers to. As this blog recently discussed, protections are in place for consumers impacted by defective or dangerous children’s toys, and products liability options are also available for individuals injured by power tools such as nail guns.
Each year both workers and consumers suffer painful injuries from nail guns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 37,000 injuries related to nail gun use are treated each year in emergency rooms. Of the emergency room visits each year for nail gun injuries, 32 percent involve general consumers while the rest involve construction workers.
Nail gun accidents and injuries can occur in a number of different ways. These include unintended nail discharges; nail penetration through an object such as lumber; nail ricochets; missing the work project or awkwardly positioning the nails or nail gun; as well as other ways. The availability of products liability protections, which can include bringing a claim for damages, depends on the circumstances. When a victim has been injured by a nail gun defect or other defective power tool, products liability remedies may be available to them.
Products liability law can sometimes be complex to understand, which is why it is important for individuals injured by a dangerous or defective product to understand how it might apply to their circumstances. Knowledge of products liability law and how it works can be a benefit to anyone injured by a defective product, such as a defective power tool.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Nailing Down the Need for Nail Gun Safety,” Accessed March 28, 2016