WI product liability settlements: wood chipper accident lawsuits Injury settlement amounts depend on the quality of your lawyer.

Wood chippers are inherently dangerous machines. However, this doesn’t mean the manufacturers of these machines or the companies who hire workers to use them are blameless. Often, there are issues with the manner in which these machines are maintained, the way they are designed and the way workers are trained to use them. The only way to ascertain if there are grounds to pursue legal action is by looking into the specifics of each case.

Warshafsky Law on Wood Chipper Product Liability and Wrongful Death Suits

Accidents involving workers falling into wood chippers are among the most horrific imaginable. Even more horrific for the families of those who perish in these machines.

With rotating blades spinning at 1,000 to 2,000 revolutions per minute and a powerful feed roller system, even a best-case scenario where the machine can be stopped quickly will result in grievous bodily injury. In most cases, however, the victim is dragged into the chipper before anyone can do anything to stop it.

According to the OSHA Integrated Management Information System, 39 workers were killed in wood chipper accidents from 1996 through 2005 (the most recent statistics). Most of these accidents (78%) involved the victim being caught in the chipper, with the other 22% involving workers being struck by either a part of the wood chipper or a tree branch kicking back from the chipper.

If you have been injured in a wood chipper accident, or have a spouse or family member who died in a wood chipper accident, the Milwaukee personal injury attorneys of Warshafsky Law can help. We have extensive experience litigating cases involving unsafe and defective products. Our work on behalf of those injured by exploding plastic wheels on MTD snow throwers, for instance, has brought us referrals from law firms across the country.

Determining Liability in Wood Chipper Accident Cases

When pursuing a claim for injury or death caused by a wood chipper, we first have to establish liability. Generally, if a product can be determined to be defective or unsafe, the manufacturer and all those in the distribution and sale chain can be held liable. We do not have to prove the manufacturer or anyone else involved in selling or distributing the chipper knew it was defective. However, their ignorance of a defect is not a defense in a product liability lawsuit.

In many instances, an injury could have been minimized or prevented altogether if these machines had simple safeguards in place. A higher and longer feed table, for instance, or a barricade between the chippers rollers and chopping blades. One woodchip manufacturer in Michigan has developed a new technology to make these machines safer: A wearable sensor on workers' gloves or wrists, which automatically shuts down the machine if it is detected in the safety zone of the chipper.

Since a key part of proving liability in a defective or unsafe product case in Wisconsin now requires the plaintiff to present a reasonable alternative for a safer product design, Warshafsky Law will seek out expert witnesses to demonstrate ways in which wood chippers could be made safer.

Role of Employer in Keeping Workers Safe from Wood Chipper Accidents

Sadly, many workers are not given adequate training by their employers in the use of these machines. Often, there is an issue with the employees not speaking and understanding English well enough to understand the training they receive. In these cases, our attorneys will depose managers and other workers to ask about what type of training is given to employees. We also look into how well the machines are maintained and whether any safety devices on the machines intended to prevent accidents are damaged in any way. In short, we leave no stone unturned in building a case for you.

Get the Maximum Compensation Possible in Your Wood Chipper Accident Lawsuit

How much is a hand or arm lost in a wood chipper accident worth? What about the life of the husband and father who perishes in a wood chipper? Truth is, no amount of money can make up for losses like these. But it can make it easier to adjust to life without them. This is why the attorney you choose to represent you is so important.

Choose an attorney with a “sign and settle” law firm, and you can count on being shortchanged. Settlement mill law firms aren’t interested in fighting for you. They just want to work out a quick settlement with the manufacturer’s attorneys so they can collect their cut and move on to the next case.

At Warshafsky Law, we put our clients’ interests first.

Our Milwaukee personal injury and wrongful death attorneys aren’t in any hurry to take the first lowball offer from an insurance company. We prepare every case from day one as though it will go to trial, and we litigate with a vengeance to ensure you get the highest possible compensation for your losses. Our diligence has resulted in not only record-setting financial awards but also numerous Society Changing Judgments.