Compensation may be available for chain saw injuries caused by defects

Every year, more than 3 million new chain saws are sold in the United States. Combined with the millions of older chain saws in circulation, most individuals with outdoor woodcutting needs are never far from what they hope is a trusty chain saw.

While chain saws have a great deal of utility, they are also inherently dangerous. Most chain saw operators respect the nature of their machines and strive for safety, and most chain saw manufacturers produce products that meets safety standards. Yet, sometimes a defective chain saw takes personal responsibility out of the equation and causes a serious or even fatal injury.

More than 30,000 chain saw injuries annually, most to hands, legs and feet

According to data compiled by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, chain saw accidents are responsible for more than 30,000 injuries every year. While chain saw deaths are relatively rare, they do happen, and several people are killed in chain saw accidents every year.

A study published in the Journal of Forensic Science and authored by the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found that the majority of chain saw related injuries involve the hands or lower extremities. Only about ten percent of chain saw injuries involve the head or neck, but these injuries tend to be the most serious.

Faulty safety features or poor product design can cause a chain saw injury

Many chain saw accidents occur because of user error. But, defective chain saws also cause or contribute to many serious injuries every year.

A chain saw or chain saw accessory can be defective in many ways. For example, kickback, which is the most common chain saw hazard, occurs when the chain stops suddenly as it contacts a more solid portion of the object being cut, throwing the chain saw back in the direction of the operator. Most modern chain saws feature safety chain brakes or kickback brakes that are meant to stop kickback from causing injury; if these safety features malfunction and an injury results, it may be possible to hold the manufacturer responsible.

Chain saw injuries are expensive; contact an attorney to recover for your losses

Obviously any tool that can slice through a solid hunk of wood in mere seconds is capable of causing severe damage to the human body. According to data collected by insurance underwriter The Davis Garvin Agency, the average chain saw wound requires 110 stitches. In the year 2000, the average treatment cost for those injured while using a chain saw was estimated at over $12,000, and with the cost of medical services skyrocketing over the past decade, that number could be expected to be far higher today.

If you were injured by a chain saw or some other type of power tool and suspect that a mechanical defect may have been to blame, get in touch with a defective chain saw attorney. By filing a product liability lawsuit, you may be able to recover monetary compensation for your losses while providing a financial incentive for toolmakers to rigorously ensure their products are safe before distributing them to the general public.