Trust is the very backbone of consumerism. As a consumer, you trust that a product or service you purchase will work as advertised, and (of course) will not threaten your safety. When that trust is violated due to design defects, safety errors, or failure of a manufacturer to warn of risks of using the product, you would hope that the manufacturer or distributor of the product would accept responsibility.
Unfortunately, this is rarely the case, and the hiring of an attorney becomes necessary. Our firm has represented many clients who have suffered injuries or worse through design and manufacturing defects, unsafe consumer products, defective motor vehicles, dangerous drug and medical devices, aircraft defects, firearms, and off-road vehicles. We have successfully secured a $3 million settlement for an air cargo employee who lost his arm because of a defect in an airplane, as well as a $1.5 million settlement for a laborer injured by a defectively designed automobile.
- Design & Manufacturing Defects
- Unsafe Consumer Products
- Defective Motor Vehicles
- Dangerous Drug & Medical Devices
- Aircraft Defects
- Firearms
- Off-Road Vehicles
VERDICTS
Products liability settlement: $1 million for landscape worker
Polo Club Worker nearly loses arm; no shield over leaf blower’s moving parts
A long-time employee in the landscaping department at the Polo Club Boca Raton nearly lost his arm while operating a leaf blower. The blower, attached to the rear of the tractor, was used to keep the medians throughout the community clean.
On Dec. 29, 1999, Smith Alfred, 55, was operating the tractor and blower when a tree branch got stuck under the tractor near the area where the blower was connected.
When Mr. Albert reached to remove the branch, a breeze caused his jacket sleeve to get caught in the blower’s moving parts. His arm was twisted around the part that connects the blower to the tractor, nearly ripping it from his body.
After hours of surgery and months of rehabilitation and recovery, Mr. Alfred’s arm was saved, but was of little use.
Steve Rossman, who recently settled Mr. Alfred’s case against Agrimetal, the manufacturer, said: “This tragedy could have been prevented very easily and at minimal cost by designing and manufacturing the blower with a shield or guard that would have covered the moving parts.”