Liability

To defend a product in a liability case, you must convince a jury of technically unsophisticated people that you did everything in your power to design, manufacture, and sell a safe product.

A former engineer was severely injured when the front wheels of the tractor he was driving fell into a culvert. He had removed a heavy-duty, rollover-protection arch because it was hitting the branches of his fruit trees when he drove the equipment between rows.

Equipment-rental companies serve their purpose, but renters should be sure to get adequate training and documentation as well as well-maintained equipment.

A worker was injured when he tried to move a stuck boom with force instead of reducing the load or properly lubricating the machine.

A grinder blade exploded on start-up, injuring the operator. The history of both the grinder and the blade were unknown, and the blade was not a good fit for the grinder or the job at hand.

“You could drop it into water.” “You could drop it on the floor and crack the plastic housing.”

Hair-dryer users have reported fire shooting out of the handle or the snout end of their hair dryers.

A maker of silo loaders/ unloaders wound up in court when its promotional materials misled customers, causing them to suffer huge business losses.

I read your monthly column in MACHINE DESIGN on the warehouse power door.

Before a manufacturer can be held responsible for an accident, there must be proof the occurrence was reasonably foreseeable.

The objective of product-safety efforts is to correct or address safety problems.