In a recent case, personal injury attorney Jim Larsen of GJEL Accident Attorneys successfully negotiated a $1 million settlement for a client who severely injured her hand when it became caught in the teeth of a gasoline-powered wood chipper.
The defendants claimed that the plaintiff had watched her friend operating the machine prior to the time of her injury, that the dangers presented by the chipper were open and obvious, and that she was at fault for allowing her hand to come in contact with the blades of the machine.
After deposing the defendant (the owner of the chipper), Mr. Larsen was able to counter defense claims by showing that the defendant had significantly increased the dangers of the machine by removing safeguards, which allowed the plaintiff’s hand to accidently contact the blades while she was working nearby.
