Experienced Pennsylvania Lawn Mower Accident Attorney Sees an Increase in Catastrophic Injuries and Deaths from Lawn Mower Accidents
I recently had the opportunity to review a claim where an 8-year old boy was killed after accidentally being run over by his father’s lawn mower. Tragic lawn mower incidents such as this, as well as traumatic amputations, are very common when using lawn mowers. Just last week, I met with another client who was an experienced lawn mower operator who lost several digits of his feet and required surgical procedures due to a Pennsylvania local lawn mower accident. There has been a tremendous increase in lawn mower injuries nationwide. Yet many of these injuries are easily preventable. Every year approximately 100,000 Americans require hospital treatment due to injuries caused by lawn mowers. Most injuries involve children under the age of 15 and adults age 60 or older. The most common injuries are caused by strikes from debris such as rocks and branches propelled by the mower’s blades, slipping and falling under the blade, improper servicing or design of a lawn mower, mowing on steep hills or embankments, and failure to pay attention. Almost every lawn mower injury is preventable.
The following safety tips should be followed:
1. Keep children under the age of 6 inside your home when your yard or an adjacent yard is being mowed.
2. Don’t let kids ride as passengers on mowers or let them be towed behind mowers.
3. Don’t let kids play on or around mowers.
4. Don’t let kids operate mowers unless they show you they have the strength and know how to operate a mower safely.
5. Don’t let a child operate a hand or power mower until he or she is 12-years old and don’t let a child operate a riding mower until he or she is at least 16 and has the proper maturity.
6. Wear sturdy shoes, not sandals, during mowing.
7. Before mowing, pick up toys, stones and debris in the mowing area.
8. Always wear eye and hearing protection during mowing.
9. Motor blades should only be adjusted by adults.
10. The lawn mower should be serviced regularly.
11. Never pull backward on a mower or mow in reverse. If it is absolutely necessary to do so, carefully look behind you before backing up a lawn mower.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a lawn mower accident, please contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania lawn mower accident attorneys for a free and careful evaluation of your claim.
