Invest in your success.
JVRA helps lawyers win cases by providing critical information you can use to establish precedent, determine demand and win arguments.
ARTICLE ID 41441
DEFENDANT''S Alleged defective design of rough terrain forklift - Plaintiff slips when attempting to enter vehicle - Tears of rotator cuff and biceps tendon on dominant side - Injuries allegedly preclude plaintiff from continuing to work.
Middlesex
The male plaintiff, in his late 50s at the time, who was
operating a rough terrain forklift to carry a trash bin to a
dumpster, contended that the forklift, designed and manufactured
by the defendant, was defectively designed. A worker would
utilize a foot rung and two grab bars to hoist themselves onto
the vehicle and the plaintiff maintained that as he was doing so,
with his hands on the grab bars, his foot slipped and that the
pressure caused tears of the rotator cuff and biceps tendon on
his left, dominant side.
The plaintiffs safety expert maintained that although there were
no specific standards for rough terrain forklifts, it would be
appropriate to apply standards relating to all terrain vehicles
in general. The expert maintained that such standards require
that the foot rung be skid resistant.
The defendant contended that the forklift as designed and
manufactured was safe. The defendants engineer maintained that
the design achieved "three points of contact," explaining that at
any given moment, three of a workers four limbs are in contact
with either the foot pedal or the grab bars. The defendant
further pointed out that the foot rung had a sharpened edge which
prevented the accumulation of debris and rendered it adequately
skid resistant.
The injuries were addressed through open surgery and the
plaintiff contended that he will permanently suffer significant
pain and restriction and be precluded from returning to work. The
defendant countered that after the accident, the plaintiff
returned to work, was subsequently terminated, and brought an age
discrimination action, certifying that he was capable of working.
The jury found for the defendant.
5 ways to win with JVRA
JVRA gives you jurisdiction-specific, year-round insight into the strategies, arguments and tactics that win. Successful attorneys come to the table prepared and use JVRA to:
- Determine if a case is winnable and recovery amounts.
- Determine reasonable demand for a case early on.
- Support a settlement demand by establishing precedent.
- Research trial strategies, tactics and arguments.
- Defeat or support post-trial motions through past case histories.
Try JVRA for a day or a month, or sign up for our deluxe Litigation Support Plan and put the intelligence of JVRA to work for all of your clients. See our subscription plans.