A three year old child died recently in Eastern Maryland when she was trapped under a garage door, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/06/girl-killed-by-garage-door_n_3028950.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003. This is a needless, recurring tragedy. Garage door openers (also called operators) are required to have electric eye beam devices that provide fail-safe operation and prevent accidents like this which typically happen to those under 6 years old. Those safety systems have been available as an option in the U.S. since the mid 1980's and have been mandatory in the U.S. since 1994. Older garage door operators had less effective safety devices.
Our office successfully prosecuted a $9,000,000 claim against a manufacturer of garage door operators that caused a substantial brain injury to a young child trapped under a descending garage door, just like the recent case in Maryland. From the news reports, it is reasonable to believe this most recent case is due to some defect in the garage door operator or the way it was installed. Please make sure no child can access the push pad for the door operators in your garage or the remote in your vehicle. Please also make sure the safety devices on your garage door operator are working as they should or contact the manufacturer so they can be replaced or repaired.
No comments:
Post a Comment