Defective Table Saw Lawsuit

Lawsuits have been filed against the makers of table saws alleging consumers have been seriously injured by defective table saws. Among the allegations made against table saw companies are that safety components are available that could prevent serious injury, but that have not been included on modern table saws.

In 2009, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a report concerning the risk of injuries with table and bench saws. Titled "urvey of Injuries Involving Stationary Saws,"the report investigated injuries that resulted in hospitalization linked to table and bench saws from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2008. According to the CPSC, during the time studied there were 79,500 hospital emergency department-treated injuries related to the saws, with patient ages ranging from 11 years old to 95 years old.

Of the injuries cited, 88 percent involved the operator of the saw coming in contact with the blade, usually with the fingers and hands (combining for more than 90 percent of the injuries). The most common injuries were lacerations (almost 65 percent), fractures (12 percent) and amputations (10.5 percent).

The CPSC determined that in almost 80 percent of the cases the saw did not have a safety switch. In some cases, however, CPSC noted the injured people had removed safety components to make the machines easier to use.
  Lawsuits against some table saw manufacturers, however, allege the companies know about flesh-sensing technology that can prevent serious injuries, but fail to include them on the table saws. One lawsuit, filed by James Boyle against Black & Decker (case number 1:15-cv-03219, in US District Court, Northern District of Illinois), alleges Black & Decker knew in 2000 about safety technology known as SawStop, which stops a spinning saw blade when it comes into contact with human skin. The lawsuit alleges the maker of the technology offered to make it available through a licensing agreement, but Black & Decker and other companies did not pursue the license or create technology of its own.

As a result, the lawsuit alleges, James Boyle suffered "severe and permanent personal injuries"to his left thumb when it came in contact with the saw blade. Because it did not contain the SawStop technology, or something similar, Boyle alleges the saw was defective and unreasonably dangerous.

A lawsuit was also filed in Texas, alleging Jason Evans suffered injuries while using a defective table saw. The lawsuit, filed against Rexon Industrial Corp. and Power Tools Specialists, alleges negligence and product liability, and claims the defendants knew about defects in their table saw but did not fix them. The case number is 4:15-cv-02950, in the Houston Division for the Southern District of Texas.
  In 2014, Brandon Stollings was awarded $1.25 million in his lawsuit against Ryobi, which alleged Stollings lost his index finger and parts of two other fingers when the saw kicked back and pulled his hand into the Ryobi blade. Testimony during the lawsuit indicated a riving knife on the saw would eliminate most kickbacks but most saws were not given riving knives until 2010. Stollings was injured in 2007.
 

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Last updated on Oct-29-21