Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
After a ten-day trial, a Lane County Oregon jury cleared John Deere company and a local distributor of liability in a 2006 Oregon riding mower accident that caused a toddler to lose her leg. The Eugene child injury took place when Kurt Norton accidentally backed over his daughter Isabelle, then age 3.
Isabelle and her family sought $11 million in damages, arguing that poor design made the John Deere riding mower unreasonably dangerous. By a series of 9-3 votes the jury did not agree.
Government and academic studies show lawn mower injuries to be surprisingly common, with riding mowers alone accounting for 37,000 injuries each year, according to a government study. The Consumer Product Safety Commission report examined data from the years 2003-2005. A broader study, conducted by Ohio State University, looked at 15 years of data noting that an average of 9400 children were injured each year over the survey period. The researchers concluded that “injuries related to lawn mowers are an important cause of pediatric morbidity” for which “current prevention strategies are inadequate.”
Consulting a Portland child injury lawyer is an important and crucial step to take following any Oregon lawn mower accident involving a child. An experienced Oregon personal injury attorney can help you secure your rights and appropriate compensation in the event of an injury or accident that is not your fault.
Eugene Register-Guard: Jury clears companies in lawn mower lawsuit
Resources:
Consumer Product Safety Commission: Riding Lawnmowers
National Center for Biotechnology Information: Summary of Ohio State University study
