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Defective and Dangerous Power Saws

Power Saws - Stationary and Hand-Held
According to a May 2003 report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were an estimated 93,880 power saw-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2001. An estimated 52,000 of these injuries were related to stationary saws such as table saws, miter saws, band saws and radial arm saws, while the remainder are attributable to portable or hand-held saws.
The majority of injuries were to fingers, with lacerations and amputations as the most common, but other injuries such as lacerations, fractures or amputations of the hand, wrist, or leg were also reported. Injuries can occur when the saw operator or a bystander comes in contact with the blade, or is hit by the cutting material or flying debris. Safety features, such as bladeguards, safety switches and anti-kickback mechanisms can help prevent injuries and a number of saw models have been recalled in recent years because such features were faulty or absent from the saw.
Stationary Saws
Table Saws
According to the CPSC report, table saws were the predominent cause of stationary-saw related injuries, accounting for about 73% of injuries.
In December 2004, Robert Bosch Tool Corporation voluntarily recalled 120,000 Skil table saws. The blade drive mechanism may loosen, which could result in kickback of the item being sawed, resulting in possible laceration.
 
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In March 1996, Ryobi America Corporation announced a recall to repair approximately 150,000 10-inch table saws. On some saws, the power switch lock-off mechanism may not work, and as a result, children and others who should not have access to the saw could be injured by the moving blade.
Miter Saws
Injuries relating to miter saws accounted for 15% of the injuries reported in the CPSC report.
In January 2001, DEWALT Industrial Tool Co. voluntarily recalled about 112,000 12-inch miter saws. Bolts on the saws could loosen and the blade could detach, posing a risk of lacerations to consumers. At the time of the recall, DEWALT had received seven reports of consumers with lacerations when the blades on these saws detached.
Band Saws
According to the report, band saws accounted for about 8% of the total injuries.
In October 2000, 180,000 power tools were recalled by three manufacturers due to potentially defective power switches. The switches, manufactured by Eaton Corp., could stick and the tool could continue to operate after the trigger has been released and could therefore lead to serious injuries. The recalled tools included Milwaukee Electric Tool-brand band saws.
Radial Arm Saws
About 4% of the total injuries caused by stationary saws in 2001 were associated with radial arm saws, according to the report.
In November 2000, Emerson Tool Co., recalled about 3.7 million Craftsman radial arm saws for repair. These radial arm saws were sold without a guard that covers the entire blade. At the time of the recall, CPSC and Emerson had received about 300 reports of injuries such as hand and finger amputations, lacerated hands, arms and fingers, fractured hands and fingers, and facial injuries caused when consumers came in contact with the blade or were hit by pieces of wood kicked back by the saw.
 
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     Trademark Notice: Personal Injury Lawyer America is an electronic newsletter from Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. Lieff Cabraser represents clients in a wide range of cases, including personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Our personal injury attorneys | lawyers are committed to providing the very best representation and support possible for our clients. This website provides information on the legal rights of the injured and the latest news on product defects and related lawsuits.
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     About Lieff Cabraser: We have offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. Our lawyers have represented clients in personal injury, wrongful death and rollover crashes and product defect lawsuits across America, including residents of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
     Among the cases our personal injury attorneys are prosecuting are the Medtronic heart lead recall, the AMO contact lens solution recall, the Peter Pan peanut butter recall, Guidant pacemaker defects, SUV rollover accidents, popcorn workers lung injuries, and Ford switch fires.
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