Texas Boy's Forearm Amputated After Washing Machine Accident

March 13, 2013

Texas Boy's Forearm Amputated After Washing Machine Accident

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An eight-year-old Texas boy wanted his Spider-Man bed sheets, which were in the washing machine. He left his bedroom, went into the garage and opened up the washing machine to take them out; the agitator stopped spinning when he lifted the lid as it was supposed to. But when he reached inside, it started spinning again, according to the El Paso Times. As a result, he lost his forearm.

Defective-Product Lawsuits

Catastrophic accidents to children caused by household products like a washing machine can give rise to a products liability lawsuit against the manufacturer, retailer and other parties in the supply chain. The agitator's failure could have been a result of the component's manufacturer. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine the liable party due to a product being made up of components from many different manufacturers. It is important in a product liability suit that an attorney is contacted relatively soon after the event. It is unclear whether the family brought a lawsuit or sought compensation for the boy's injuries following the washing machine accident. El Paso police took the washer as part of a routine investigation.

Products liability lawsuits can be based on the following claims against the manufacturer, retailer, distributer or supplier of the product:
-The product was inherently unsafe as produced
-The product was made unsafe by mishandling or contamination
-The product was unsafe for consumers due to a lack of proper instruction or warning about its risks

Catastrophic Injury Costs

When tragic accidents occur, injured children, as well as family members of those whose catastrophic injuries turn fatal, incur many costs, both emotional and financial. In the washing machine case, the boy and his family had to deal with the shock they experienced from his gruesome injury: His parents watched him walk into the kitchen with his right forearm bone exposed and his hand dangling by a tendon and a nerve.

His mother had to render emergency aid by wrapping his arm up with her shirt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and using ice cubes in an attempt to preserve his hand. The boy then underwent surgery to reattach his arm at University Medical Center of El Paso. Even though the boy was able to make a gripping motion with his hand during his recovery, he later had to have the arm amputated.

These procedures certainly entail significant medical bills in addition to the changes it brings to the lives of those affected, so anyone who has suffered similar injuries should contact a skilled products liability attorney to seek to obtain compensation from any potentially liable parties.