Lawnmower Injuries Are More Common—And More Dangerous—Than You May Think

Approximately 70,000 U.S. emergency room visits each year are attributable to lawnmower-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  36,000 of those visits are attributed to walk-behind mowers, with the other 34,000 attributed to riding lawnmowers.  These numbers, of course, do not even account for the injuries treated in non-emergency room environments or those that go unreported.  Considering that lawnmower use is uncommon for half of the year in the northern states, the frequency of lawnmower injuries is clearly a serious concern.

Lawnmower Injuries Can Result in Serious Personal Injuries and Even Death

Lawnmower injuries can range from minor scrapes to serious, debilitating injuries or death.  Cuts caused by contact with the mower blade, burns from touching the engine, broken bones, and amputations have all occurred in the U.S.  These do not even represent the most extreme cases of lawnmower injuries.

Per the CSPC, 90 deaths per year were attributed to riding lawnmowers alone during the reporting period of 2007-2009.  Unstable lawnmowers can cause riders to fall, expose the machine’s deadly blades, or crush riders or those nearby.  Walk-behind mowers, too, have been linked to deaths, both from contact with the blades and as a result of rocks and other materials being thrown out from under the mower.

Defective Lawnmowers and Negligent Users May Be Liable For Lawnmower Injuries

Who is to blame for lawnmower injuries?  Often, when someone other than the user is injured, the injury occurs as a result of the user’s negligence.  Or, as in many cases, a user and others are injured as a result of a defective lawnmower that was unacceptably dangerous, poorly designed, or not equipped with adequate warning labels.  As with any personal injury or product liability case, those injured in a lawnmower incident may be entitled to compensation for their injuries.

At Cleveland, Ohio’s Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA, our experienced attorneys are available to help those injured in a lawnmower accident.  If you or a loved one are among the 70,000 people per year who have sustained a lawnmower injury, contact us today for a free consultation.