Lawn Mower Rollover Accidents
Riding lawn mowers are being used more and more today by homeowners to maintain their residential lawns whereas before they were mostly used for larger commercial properties like parks, golf courses and baseball fields. With the increased use of riding lawnmowers comes the increased number of injuries and even wrongful deaths happening yearly. Other than the apparent dangers of lawnmowers such as propelling sharp blades and violent shootings of rocks and debris into the air, the most common lawn mower tragedies occur due to rollovers. Since 1976, lawn mower rollover accidents have led to more than 5000 deaths in the U.S. and that number continues to grow as riding mowers are becoming more popular. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a lawnmower accident, contact Louisiana Attorney Group so we can match you with skilled Louisiana Lawn Mower Accident Attorneys who represent injured victims and families to obtain financial compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and more.
Dangers
Most open spaces where a riding lawn mower could be used have areas of uneven ground, areas where the ground inclines or slopes down into ditches. When a riding lawn mower moves over uneven surfaces, the risks of rollovers increase due to instability. Often times, rollovers happen when the mower is angled across a slope or incline rather than going in the same direction as the surface change. The average riding lawn mower can weigh between 400 and 2000 pounds. If the heavy machine rolls over, victims can become pinned beneath the machine and suffer crush injuries such as broken bones, burns, and asphyxiation. If the rollover accident happens near water, the machine can trap and drown a victim. Serious lacerations and even amputations can occur when a lawn mower rolls over because many mowers do not have a kill switch to stop the motor. Thus, the blade continues to spin when it is tipped over, putting anyone close to the mower in danger.
Louisiana Lawn Mower Accident Attorneys
While the operator has the responsibility of operating the lawn mower in a safe manner, manufacturers have the responsibility of making their machines with safety devices in case of an accident. Rollover protection systems, also called ROPS, such as a roll bar and safety harness can effectively decrease the amount and degree of injury associated with a rollover accident. Unfortunately, these safety devices have not been made a standard feature of most lawn mowers, which could be used to prevent many lawn mower rollover accidents. Without such safety devices, injuries will most likely continue to happen and our affiliated Louisiana Lawn Mower Accident Attorneys will continue to provide aggressive and successful legal representation for victims of these devastating accidents.
