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When Home Improvement Projects Lead to Injury

BIKLaw Medical Malpractice Lawyer > Product Liability > When Home Improvement Projects Lead to Injury

Summer mean more daylight and many Los Angelenos use the extended daylight hours as an an opportunity to get some often long overdue repair work done around the house.  Or perhaps, with the kids out of school, you’re just hoping to wrangle your teens into helping you with the work, keeping them off these streets and hopefully out of trouble.  While a great idea, it’s imperative that any do-it-yourself projects taking place around the home be approached in the safest manner possible.

 
Safety starts with understanding just how serious the threat of injuries associated with home repair projects really is. In fact, 45% of the over 3 million upper limb injuries estimated to occur each year are incurred in the home.  23% of these injuries are lacerations, or serious cuts that often require prompt medical attention. If you or a loved one are injured as a result of a defective product or product defect, contact an experienced Los Angeles product liability lawyer.

 

A recent summer DIY injury involved a firefighter who had to be rushed in for emergency surgery after suffering a wrist laceration when he fell backwards while holding a large electrical tool.  The doctor stated that it was only through complex surgery that the damage was able to be repaired, and the injured individual acknowledged that he let his experience with prior projects dictate a lack of proper safety precautions.

 
To avoid injury, it is important to ensure that you have the proper equipment on hand and don’t need to look or flail around for another tool.  This requires preparation and some forethought.  Having a plan in place from the outset and organizing your tools in a manner that allows you to reach each of them one at a time in the order that they’re needed could possibly prevent a serious household injury.

 
Of course, the tools should be in such a condition that they won’t pose a danger through their mere use.  If you have an old or worn piece of equipment, drop in to a local hardware store and verify the tool’s safety with an expert. However, sometimes a tool presents unknown dangers due to product defect or defects in design. An aggressive defective product lawyer will work with you to determine whether your injuries, and the soaring medical and other costs associated with it, were the result of the manufacturer or another third party. Another smart tip is to let someone else know about the work that’s being done.  Enlist a family member or even a neighbor to drop in occasionally to make sure you’re doing alright.  Before you get to work, consider placing a first aid equipment and a phone nearby, just in case.

 
For more tips on staying safe this summer, check out our blog. To discuss your potential defective product case, contact the skilled Los Angeles trial lawyers at contact BIKLAW today.

 

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