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Mowing your own lawn and riding your tractor is a normal daily chore. But you don’t always think of the possibility of an accident occurring in your own backyard. While it is also common to hire a landscaper, some homeowners enjoy riding lawn mowers. They save you a lot of money in the long run, not having to pay a landscaper to do a job that you can complete with a lawn mower! Unfortunately, as useful as these contraptions may be, they can be extremely dangerous and cause lasting damage if an accident were to occur.
You should always be sure to get your mower checked often. If a mower is not designed correctly or handled improperly, the resulting damage can be life-altering, if not deadly. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates more than 37,000 Americans suffer a power mower-related injury each year.
Mowing the lawn can boost your home’s curb appeal and gain you physical-activity points, but new research details the injury risk it can pose. Lawn mower injuries can range in severity and may include anything from minor cuts to loss of limb, depending on the circumstances or damage that is inflicted.
Below are just some of the common injuries that can occur if you were to get into an accident on your mower.
Common lawn mower injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Deep cuts
- Dislocated bones
- Eye injuries
- Loss of fingers or toes
- Sprains and strains
Common Lawn Mower Defects
Although there are many ways that a lawn mower can be defective or malfunctioning, the following are some of the most common flaws found:
- Defects that occur during manufacturing
- Defects in the design of the lawn mower
- Improper or insufficient warning labeling
- Rollover defects – riding lawn mowers that overturn easily
- Parts that break easily
- Lack of proper or insufficient instructions
- Defective fuel system
- Defective blades
Manufacturing defects can cause catastrophic injuries to lawn mower operators, including death. Aside from operator error, lawn mower manufacturers have an obligation to make products that are safe. However, in order to be able to lower the price of some lawn mowers – especially the more expensive riding mowers – many manufacturers fail to provide the proper safety devices that will reduce the potential for injuries.
I Was Injured by a Lawn Mower. Now What?
If you or someone you love was injured by a lawn mower, you may be able to take legal action against the manufacturer. Those who design, construct, and market these products must take care to ensure their product is reasonably safe and that all potential hazards are clearly stated. If they were in any way negligent in the creation or sale of their mower, they could be held liable for the resulting damage.
Whether you rolled your mower and lost an arm, or a mower malfunction caused you to harm a bystander, you could be eligible for compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more.
Content edited by personal injury attorney Judd Shaw. From the beginning, Judd established a set of Core Values laying out the pursuit for excellence in client service. He is a regular host of the Working The Wow podcast, with the belief that providing an exceptional client experience is just as important as delivering a quality service or product. You can find us in Red Bank and Tom‘s River, New Jersey.