Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

Each year in America close to 70,000 people will sustain serious injury caused by lawn mowers. Almost 10,000 will be younger than 18-years old. The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted that the power lawn mower is one of the most dangerous tools around the home.

As an experienced Pennsylvania lawn mower accident and product liability attorney, we receive many calls each year concerning children who sustain severe injuries and sometimes unfortunately death as a result of a lawn mower related accident. Unfortunately many lawn mowers have design defects and warning failures and lack of proper safeguards. Many times parents entrust their children mow the lawn despite the fact that the child does not possess the necessary level of maturity, judgement, strength, or coordination. Experts suggest that most children should not operate a walk behind power mower until they are at least 12-years old or ride on a lawn mower until they are at the age of driving or at least 16-years old. There is not a week that goes by where one does not learn of an amputation or limb shredding accident as a result of a lawn mower blade. Lawn mower rollover and amputation accidents are daily occurrences in the United States.

Other common injuries resulting from lawn mower rollover accidents include asphyxiation, permanent scarring, broken bones, dislocation, burns, and loss of eyesight. The Pennsylvania defective product and lawn mower accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily believe that manufacturers are obligated to produce reasonably safe lawn mowers for foreseeable uses. When the manufacturer fails in this responsibility, they must be held responsible for the injuries caused by the defective product. Many lawn mower injuries could have been prevented if the manufacturer installed rollover protection systems or guards.

Continue reading "American Academy of Pediatrics Claims That A Power Lawn Mower Is One Of The Most Dangerous Tools Around The Home - Lawn Mower Accident Lawyer Weighs In" »

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.

The Philadelphia lawn mower injury lawyers at Reiff & Bily wish to advise you that although many of us like to delegate lawn mowing duties to our children or teenagers or have them earn some extra money by mowing other peoples lawns, mowing the lawn can be a serious accident waiting to happen if proper safety precautions are not taken.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission nearly 16,200 children and teenagers under 19 were treated for lawn mower related injuries last year. Please follow the following safety tips regarding children and lawn mower usage:

1. Children should be at least 12 years old before they operate a lawn mower and at least 16 years old before operating a riding lawn mower.

2. Children should never be passengers on riding lawn mowers.

3. Sturdy shoes should be worn while mowing not sandals.

4. Young children should be at a safe distance from the area being mowed.

5. Eye and hearing protection should be worn.

6. A lawn mower should be used with a control that stops it from moving forward if the handle is released.

7. Mowers should be started and refilled outdoors and not in a garage to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

8. Motors should be turned off to cool before fueling.

9. Blades should be completely still before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge shooter, or crossing gravel roads.

Reiff & Bily is a catastrophic personal injury and products liability law firm committed to promoting consumer safety. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to a lawn mower injury, please contact us online for a free consultation or contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595.