A step stool can be described as a tool that resembles a small ladder and typically has no more than three steps or rungs. In general, step stools are often used to reach areas in a person’s house or in an apartment that are higher up, such as kitchen shelves or items stored in a hallway closet. Some companies may even keep step stools at work to save space or so that employees can access certain work products and/or projects.
Depending on what a step stool is being used for, they can pose many dangers to the person who is currently using one. For example, a person can still topple over when standing on the top rung of a step stool, regardless of whether the step stool only reaches a certain height. This means that even small and short step stools can cause a person to suffer injuries if they use a step stool improperly or if the step stool itself is deemed to be defective.
A person can also slip or slide off a step stool if they are not wearing the right footwear or if the step stool is positioned in a way that is off-balance and causes it to wobble. Sliding or slipping off of a step stool may also occur if the person standing on it is a toddler or a young child. In fact, children are often the ones who receive cuts, wounds, or bruises from a step stool due to playing on them or accidentally causing them to collapse on their tiny fingers.
One other way that a person can be injured by a step stool is if they fall off of it and smash some part of their body against an object or structure while they are tumbling down (e.g., a shelf, a tree limb, a wall, etc.).
In addition, injuries from step stools can happen outside of a person’s home or office. For instance, many construction workers may use a step stool when completing a building renovation project or while doing construction work on a home.
Lastly, if you need assistance with filing a lawsuit to recover damages associated with a step stool injury, you should consider consulting a local consumer lawyer as soon as possible.
Who Can be Held Liable for Step Stool Injury?
As discussed above, injuries associated with step stools may be extremely serious. This is especially true in cases where a person suffers severe damage to their spine, neck, head, or back after falling off a step stool. Some other body parts that tend to be injured when working with step stools include a person’s tailbone, wrists, ankles, extremities, and knees.
Depending on the circumstances surrounding a particular case, it may be possible to hold a step stool manufacturer liable for any injuries received from using a defective step stool.
For instance, if a manufacturer built the step stool with substandard quality or cheap materials, which in turn, caused the step stool to be weak and collapse under the weight of an adult. This may constitute a valid reason to sue a manufacturer for creating a defective step stool under defective design laws.
In other situations, a person may have been injured when using a step stool if the product lacked clear instructions on how to use it or warning labels that notified consumers about the risks associated with using a particular type of step stool. In which case, a consumer may be able to file a lawsuit against a manufacturer based on a claim of having a defective warning label.
Another claim that an injured party may be able to file against a manufacturer is one for creating the manufacturing defect in a step stool that caused the person to fall or slip and become injured. For example, if a manufacturer assembled the step stool wrong in the factory or if they forgot to insert certain parts like screws before sending it out to distributors and retail sellers. In such instances, the product may serve as the basis of a class action lawsuit.
Briefly, a class action lawsuit may be filed by a group of plaintiffs who suffered the same or a similar injury due to using a defective product or service.
In addition, it should be noted that other entities within a step stool’s chain of distribution may also be held responsible for a consumer’s injuries if they can prove it was that entity’s fault for creating or selling a defective step stool to members of the general public.
Are There any Legal Remedies for a Step Stool Injury Lawsuit?
In some instances, an injured party may need to take legal action in order to resolve an issue involving a step stool injury. This will usually entail filing a personal injury lawsuit in civil court. In such lawsuits, an injured party may be able to recover certain legal remedies if they win their case. The most common legal remedy that a court will award to a plaintiff who prevails in a step stool injury lawsuit is a monetary damages award.
In general, a monetary damages award is typically used to reimburse a plaintiff for any expenses or losses they suffered as a result of their injuries. Some examples of costs that a monetary damages award may be used to cover include:
- Hospital bills;
- Medical treatment (e.g., physical therapy or prescriptions);
- Loss of wages or loss of future income;
- Costs to repair damage done to property;
- Loss of quality of life;
- Pain and suffering;
- Emotional distress; and/or
- Various other types of expenses related to the plaintiff’s injuries.
In addition, a class action lawsuit may be filed on behalf of numerous persons who were injured by the same step stool. If the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit win their case, then they will most likely be able to recover a large monetary damages award that will need to be split amongst themselves.
Lastly, in extremely defective product cases, an injured party may even be able to ask the court to order the company to recall the defective step stool in question.
Do I Need a Lawyer for Help with a Step Stool Lawsuit?
As previously discussed, personal injury lawsuits that involve claims related to step stool injuries may require knowledge of various laws and legal procedures that differ by state. Thus, it may be in your best interest to hire a defective products attorney who practices law in your area if you need help with filing a step stool injury claim in a local civil court.
An experienced consumer lawyer will be able to give you valuable legal advice and can provide legal representation before a judge. Your lawyer will also be able to assist you in gathering the proper evidence to support your step stool injury claim and can discuss the potential legal remedies you might be able to recover if your case is successful. In addition, your lawyer can recommend other ways for you to resolve your issue aside from going to trial.
Finally, if you need to join or initiate a class action lawsuit against a step stool manufacturer, your lawyer can help you to navigate the requisite legal procedures as well. For instance, your lawyer can see if there is a class action lawsuit that is currently pending and which you can still join. They can also perform legal research to confirm that your claim can be filed as a class action lawsuit.
