When you can no longer trust the products that you use, things are getting pretty bad. Once again, another recall hits the news.
This particular recall involves approximately 1,800 snow blowers in Canada and the U.S. They were recalled when it was discovered that the engine is missing a safety shield that should be present just above the side-mounted electric starter.
The missing shield poses a serious potential for operators to lose fingers or sustain severe lacerations. If you have ever wondered who does safety inspections of products like this before they hit the marketplace, then you are not alone. Consumers that have been injured by this product or one like it may find out legal information about their rights by calling an Austin personal injury lawyer.
The snow blowers affected by the recall come equipped with a Liquid Combustion Technology StormForce engine and have the word Sno-Tek in print across the handlebar plate. Only a certain range in this particular line of snow blowers was affected: model numbers 920402 and 920403 and UPC codes 5105803094 and 5105803095 and engine model numbers PW1HK18650781DE-ABGOQUVE1M with serial numbers ranging from 1065H04008325A through 1065H04012104A. To find out the model number of a snow blower that you may have sitting in your garage, check the UPC code printed on the label on the gear box by the left wheel.
Even though the company, Liquid Combustion Technology, issued a recall promptly once they realized there was a problem and offered a free repair kit with installation instructions, there is a very real possibility that not everyone who bought one of these machines will be aware they have been recalled. That often happens once a product has been sold and ends up in garages across the nation. Unless you are deliberately looking for recall notices or the media makes a big deal about a recall, the chance a buyer will see or hear about the recall notice is slim.
Even though a recall notice may be in effect, if someone did lose fingers or their hand in an accident involving these snow blowers, the makers, designers and distributors may well be liable for any injuries you sustain. They may also be sued for medical bills, time off work, pain and suffering and other incidental expenses related to the accident.
Every personal injury case is different. If you have been in a similar situation and run afoul of a different product, then you need to contact a skilled Austin personal injury lawyer and discuss your case. You need to know what rights you have when it comes to products on the market that may hurt, maim or kill. As a consumer, you trust that what you bought will be safe to use. If it isn’t, someone needs to be held responsible for that.
Robert W. Lee is an Austin personal injury lawyer for The Lee Law Firm. If you need an Austin personal injury lawyer, contact an Austin personal injury attorney from The Lee Law Firm. Visit RWLeelaw.com.
