Defective Sports Equipment
Most sports are played using special sports equipment like helmets, masks, rollerblades, snowboards, skateboards, catcher's masks, shoulder pads, shin guards, etc. Properly constructed gear is especially important in rough contact sports like football and hockey, and in high adrenaline speed-based sports like skiing, rollerblading and snowboarding. When sports equipment malfunctions or conceals hidden defects that render it unstable and weak, the resulting injuries can be serious and even fatal.
If you or your child has been injured as the result of defective sports equipment, you may have the right to take legal action. A product liability attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP can talk to you about your particular options.
Through the years, we have dedicated our legal practice to helping the injured. We realize that preventable injuries can create a profound impact on you and your family, causing severe physical pain, emotional trauma and lasting financial difficulties. That is why we fight for injured consumers in product liability lawsuits throughout the U.S. We hold manufacturing companies, distributors and retailers accountable for their wrongdoing and seek financial compensation that helps our client begin rebuilding and moving on with his or her life.
Find out more about sports equipment defects and your rights by calling a lawyer at our firm for a free consultation.
Defective Winter Sports Equipment
Winter sports injuries are some of the most damaging, life-altering injuries. Every winter, as people head to ski slopes to snowboard, toboggan, ski and sled down the icy slopes, they are exposed to the risk of falling and collisions. Many of these occur due to inherent design and manufacturing flaws in equipment. Manufacturers of winter sports equipment often conveniently blame the training of the sportsman for any accidents, refusing to take responsibility for defective manufacturing.
Defective Helmets and Masks
Defects in helmets and masks have been the focus of dozens of injury lawsuits, although these were more common in the seventies than they are now. Over the past few decades, the possibility of liability in an accident involving a defective helmet has forced manufacturers to adopt stringent manufacturing and testing processes for their helmets, drastically bringing down the number of injuries associated with these. However, football players, hockey players, fencers, baseball catchers and other sportsmen continue to be at risk for punctured or crushed helmets, or damage to the bars of a mask, exposing the player to eye and face injuries.
Helmet injuries can be the most severe and can cause a variety of complications. For instance, head injuries that often result because of a defective helmet can quickly cause brain injury complications, including contusions and traumatic brain injuries. Neck injuries are another frequent occurrence when a defective or unstable helmet is used, and can lead to quickly lead to spinal cord injuries that can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia if immediate medical attention is not provided to the victim.
Other Defective Sports Equipment
Defective bicycles can include handbrakes that fail, pedals that fall off or chains that break. Damaged or defective rollerblades can stop or slow down a skater, exposing them to serious crash and collision risks.
Call a Product Liability Lawyer
Finding out more about your legal rights should be a primary concern if you or a family member has been injured by defective or poorly designed sports equipment. If a manufacturing or design defect was the cause of your injuries, you will need a knowledgeable and aggressive advocate to protect your legal rights and prove the liability of the manufacturer. That is where Arnold & Itkin comes in.
Contact a product liability lawyer regarding your defective sports equipment claim.