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This is different though, in the case of McDonalds she was not aware of the risk, whereas this guy obviously was. If people actually wanted this device then it

This is different though, in the case of McDonalds she was not aware of the risk, whereas this guy obviously was. If people actually wanted this device then it would be for sale. When working with machinery a level of caution is required and a lot of safety devices can cause problems -- what can be cut without tripping the device, or slow work down.

anigbrowl 17y ago
But the device is for sale. I agree that power tools are dangerous, but we don't yet know the exact circumstances of the accident. The question is not so much whether the customer was aware of the risk, but whether the manufacturer was aware and chose to do nothing to mitigate it. Ryobi was at the point of signing a contract to license the technology 8 years ago and suddenly pulled out. Saying that 'safety doesn't sell', if verifiable, suggests their misgivings were economic rather than technical. Past similar cases, such as the Ford Pinto, usually go very poorly for the defendants. This could result in an awfully big class-action lawsuit if the ruling is upheld. From the same link: According to the Journal of Trauma, an estimated 565,670 table-saw-related injuries were treated from 1990 to 2007 in U.S. emergency rooms. The vast majority involved a hand coming in contact with the blade, and about 10 percent ended in amputation. If we estimate the average cost of an amputation in medical bills and lost future productivity at $100,000, then this would represent a $5.6 billion loss to the economy. This case is going to be fought tooth and nail, perhaps all the way to the Supreme Court.
- dantheman 17y ago
  The dangers with the ford pinto problem was faulty design; they gas tank was in the wrong place. Whereas with a table saw the dangers are well known. Now if something went wrong and the safety device on the machine failed due to a defect then you might have a point. As it is, it's a saw -- it cuts things you put into it, if you put your finger in it will get cut. I don't believe it is at all comparable to the ford pinto.

anigbrowl 17y ago

But the device is for sale. I agree that power tools are dangerous, but we don't yet know the exact circumstances of the accident. The question is not so much whether the customer was aware of the risk, but whether the manufacturer was aware and chose to do nothing to mitigate it. Ryobi was at the point of signing a contract to license the technology 8 years ago and suddenly pulled out. Saying that 'safety doesn't sell', if verifiable, suggests their misgivings were economic rather than technical. Past similar cases, such as the Ford Pinto, usually go very poorly for the defendants. This could result in an awfully big class-action lawsuit if the ruling is upheld. From the same link: According to the Journal of Trauma, an estimated 565,670 table-saw-related injuries were treated from 1990 to 2007 in U.S. emergency rooms. The vast majority involved a hand coming in contact with the blade, and about 10 percent ended in amputation. If we estimate the average cost of an amputation in medical bills and lost future productivity at $100,000, then this would represent a $5.6 billion loss to the economy. This case is going to be fought tooth and nail, perhaps all the way to the Supreme Court.

dantheman 17y ago
The dangers with the ford pinto problem was faulty design; they gas tank was in the wrong place. Whereas with a table saw the dangers are well known. Now if something went wrong and the safety device on the machine failed due to a defect then you might have a point. As it is, it's a saw -- it cuts things you put into it, if you put your finger in it will get cut. I don't believe it is at all comparable to the ford pinto.