Individuals tend to undertake home improvement actions and arts and crafts in their houses. The trouble is that many people are not skilled or trained enough to use some of the equipment, such as table saws or circular saws. These saws are extremely dangerous if the user is unsure of how to use them, and one error can lead to fatal consequences. Of course, there are scenarios in which the main issue is the saw itself. It could have been developed wrong or had some kind of defect that contributed to the accident. If you were injured because of a defective table saw or circular saw, you should pursue legal action against the responsible company. Our team of attorneys at the Downtown LA Law Group can ensure that you receive a valuable settlement to cover your expenses and debts if you were injured.
Table Saw Information
Table saws and circular saws are large round blades that spin at very high speeds and make it easy to cut specific materials, such as wood, plastic, soft metals, and more. Many carpenters use them for their projects, such as building shelves and tables. Very few table saws have any safety mechanisms that would cause the blade to stop spinning if it is not in contact with a specific material. There have been talks that would introduce a device called SawStop to table saws, which would cause the blade to stop spinning within milliseconds of touching flesh. The injury would be negligible, if it occurred at all. However, many manufacturers have avoided utilizing SawStop due to the high costs. They would have to spend a lot of money fitting and retrofitting the saws, and as a result, prices would drastically increase, and buyers would go to competitors.
Potential Injuries from Table Saws
Table saws can lead to devastating injuries. The most common injury that occurs is amputation, specifically finger or hand amputation. An amputated finger can be cut very jagged, which makes reattachment extremely difficult. A spinning blade is not a clean slice, so various muscles, ligaments, and tendons can be damaged beyond repair. Even if reattachment is possible, the finger or hand may not ever return to full strength or feeling. Commonly, individuals with amputated fingers will feel a persistent coldness, or they will have numbness for some time.
According to data, there are more than 4,000 table saw related amputations every year.
Table saw injuries can also happen to children who are near the saws while their parents are working, or who have turned them and want to play or craft something. Children are often not skilled enough to guide materials past the saw, and they may not be strong enough, either. A child who needs to get on the table or who needs to use his whole body to push something into a saw runs the risk of slipping, or of the material getting cut quickly once a break happens, leading to him tumbling in the saw. These kinds of injuries can be fatal.
It is recommended that all individuals practice extreme caution with table saws to prevent injuries. Everyone should read manuals, wear proper safety equipment, and never go nearer a blade than is necessary.
Filing a Lawsuit for a Table Saw Injury
Table saw injuries can be blamed on the poor decisions of the users, but sometimes, the user did everything right – there was merely a problem with the saw. For instance, the saw could have exceeded the dimensions it was supposed to be, or the motor could have shorted and caused the blade to keep spinning despite getting turned off. Faulty wiring can cause the blade to keep spinning as well, or even make it spin faster – or at different speeds altogether, such as by suddenly speeding up.
There have been numerous companies that have recalled their circular saws and table saws due to defects. Some can be found below:
- Black & Decker portable table saws
- Sears Crafstman table saws
- Festool USA TS 55 REQ table saw
- One World Technologies table saw
Some of the defects include:
- Defective blades
- Defective modular blade guards
- Wiring problems
- Wrong dimensions
- Broken splitters
- Broken riving knives
- Broken or faulty magnetic switches
If you wish to file a lawsuit because of an injury stemming from a defect, you will need to prove that specific company was negligent. You can do this by showing that there was either a design error with the table saw, a manufacturing error with the saw, or a lack of hazard symbols or warnings on the item or packaging.
Most table saws suffer from manufacturing errors that cause them to work improperly. Some do have design errors that should have been caught before the saw schematics were ever sent to a factory. By knowing the cause of the defect, you can have a good foundation for your claim.
You should follow these steps to file a product liability lawsuit:
- Go to the doctor immediately to get your wounds treated
- Do not hesitate going to get medical treatment, as a delay will worsen your injuries and will harm the validity of your claim
- Hold on to medical receipts, doctor’s statements, X-rays, medical records and charts, insurance claims, and more
- Take pictures of your injuries
- Take pictures of the defective saw, or videos of it in motion with the defect apparent
- If possible, get eyewitness statements who can testify that the blade was defective or that you were injured because of a problem with the table saw
- Make copies of any receipts, proof of purchase documents, confirmation emails, and bank or credit card statements that prove that you purchased the saw
Upon gathering all of this evidence, it is in your best interest to hire a skilled table saw accident lawyer in Los Angeles. We will be able to handle the claim for you while you recover from your injuries. Too many individuals try to negotiate claims or prove that they were victims of negligence, but the insurance company is too crafty. We have the necessary knowledge and experience that you might lack. Your goal should be to recover to full health, not get stressed out over a lawsuit. Let us help you with your claim and we will bring you every penny you deserve.
Compensation from a Table Saw Accident Lawsuit
The value of a table saw accident lawsuit will be determined by the insurance agent handling the claim. He will consider the injuries you suffered, how severe and damaging these injuries were, the effect they had on your life and job, your age, how responsible you were for the accident, and more. Most of the time, insurance agents will make low offers, wait a long time to reach out, and more. They do not want to pay out large claims. We will do everything in our power to negotiate a fair deal and bring you the following:
- Medical bills and expenses from the past and future for hospitalization, ambulatory transportation, surgery, physical therapy, medication, and more
- Property damage if your belongings were lost or needed to be repaired or replaced after the incident
- Missed income if you were unable to return to work because of your injuries or because of future treatments
- Pain and suffering damages for PTSD, fear, anxiety, emotional stress, psychological trauma, and more
- Wrongful death damages if a family member or loved one died because of the incident, which can result in pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering damages, funeral and burial fees, loss of relations and consortium, loss of expected inheritance and savings, and more
You should not be expected to cover these costs if you were injured because of a defective table saw. We can ensure that you are fairly reimbursed for your losses.
Statute of Limitations to File a Lawsuit for Table Saw Injuries
California has a statute of limitations of 2 years from the date of the injury. If you do not file a claim within that time period, you will not be able to receive any compensation. It is recommended that you take action quickly – the longer you wait, the more likely it is that your evidence will get lost or become corrupted, and you will not be successful.
There are some exceptions to the statute of limitations. They are as follows:
- Underage victims can wait until they turn 18 years old to sue
- Incapacitated victims can wait until they return to mental or physical functionality before they sue
- Victims who cannot sue because the defendant has left the state can wait until he returns before filing a lawsuit
Often, victims simply do not know the statute of limitations and end up missing it altogether. Our firm will guarantee that your case will be submitted on time. There will be no danger of you missing any deadlines when you work with our attorneys.
Why Choose Us
There is no better law firm in town than the Downtown LA Law Group. We know the best methods for success and will do everything possible to win your claim. Our team of attorneys is dedicated to every client we meet, and we have years of experience in personal injury cases. For a free legal consultation, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’ll tell you how much the value of your case might be and what we will do to win it.
We will also ensure you pay no fees with our zero fee guarantee. We won’t get paid unless and until we win, and if we lose, you owe us nothing whatsoever.
If you were injured because of a defective table saw or circular saw, call the Downtown LA Law Group today.