We hear a lot about nail gun accidents here in the United States however, these accidents are not unique to us only. The community of Brunswick, near Whanganui, New Zealand was in shock recently when a freak accident left a man with a nail embedded three and a half inches into his head.
The unnamed man in his 60s had been using a nail gun to work on a bench at his home address when the incident occurred. A medical professional who was first on the scene described the man as being extremely lucky due to the fact that the nail was completely embedded in his skull. The man claims to have been using the nail gun correctly when it misfired and shot him in the head and, fortunately, this time the man miraculously escaped with his life.
The Potential Dangers Of Nail Gun Accidents
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nail gun accidents account for 37,000 emergency room visits each year, with around 68% of these involving workers, and 32% involving private consumers. The CDC sites that there are 7 major factors that are likely to lead to nail gun injuries:
- Unintended nail discharges from double fire
- Knocking the safety while having the trigger squeezed
- The nail ricocheting after hitting a hard or metal surface
- The discharged nail either missing the intended target
- The discharged nail penetrating the intended target completely
- Attempting to fire a nail from an awkward position
- From bypassing the safety mechanisms of the nail gun
In order to prevent these sorts of nail gun accidents from occurring there a few important steps for employers and non-commercial users to follow. Providing training and enforcing strict procedures with relation to the usage of full sequential trigger nail guns, using personal protective equipment (PPE), providing first aid and encouraging that all near misses are reported, following these guidelines from the CDC will ensure that users of nail guns are operating at optimum safety.
These Accidents Are On The Rise
A 2015 study by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that while nail guns increase productivity in the workplace they are also responsible for the increasing amount of emergency room visits by construction workers.
Data obtained from the occupational supplement to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was utilized to establish the number of nail gun-related injuries that occurred between the years of 2006 and 2011. Following the detailed analysis of this data, the American Journal of Industrial Medicine was able to surmise that there were approximately 25,000 nail gun-related injuries treated by local emergency departments each year.
I’ve Had An Accident – Do I Have A Case?
There would generally be two reasons that would result in a nail gun injury-related lawsuit being filed. The first being a co-worker or someone else on-site shooting you with a nail gun, or a manufacturer defect resulting in either yourself or someone else on-site being injured.
As there can often be confusion relating to who is responsible for being at fault, and ascertaining whether it is down to the individual or the manufacturer, hiring a lawyer will help you figure this out. You will be pleased to know that there is a nail gun accident law firm waiting to help you with your case. It is important to contact an attorney who specializes in lawsuits relating to workplace injuries from nail guns. In New York, Banville Law is a law firm that deals specifically with accidents related to various nail gun injuries. With the help of such a law firm, victims of negligence can get the compensation that they deserve for their medical expenses, pain, and suffering.
