When diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or a serious accident leaves our relatives without the ability to use their legs, a wheelchair is often the answer to help with mobility. Wheelchairs allow those who cannot use their legs to move around efficiently. In fact, wheelchairs aren’t just for those who have a physical handicap—they are also used by our elderly loved ones affected by old age. When walking becomes difficult, many elderly people turn to wheelchairs to improve the quality of their lives.

While wheelchairs are intended to help infirm and injured people get around, they have been known to cause injuries due to manufacturer defects. Sadly, many products hit the marketplace with defects, and wheelchairs are no different. When corners are cut and there are flaws in design or manufacturing, wheelchairs can be dangerous—unbeknownst to those using them.

Defective Wheelchairs Cause Injuries

Our loved ones rely on their wheelchairs to get around, never assuming their wheelchairs will hurt them. However, some wheelchair operators have suffered serious injuries due to no fault of their own. When wheelchairs are defective, they can cause the following injuries:

  • Bruising
  • Lacerations and bleeding
  • Broken bones
  • Facial injuries
  • Head injuries
  • Burn injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Traumatic brain injury

What Can Go Wrong with Wheelchairs

When people are injured by their defective wheelchairs, it is often because they are thrown from their chairs due to abrupt failure. However, there are many other wheelchair defects that cause injuries including:

  • Wheels pop off, causing the person in the wheelchair to fall and suffer severe injuries
  • Electrical shorts, causing electrocution and serious injuries
  • Overheating of the motor, causing a fire and burn injuries
  • The battery-charger wiring harness short-circuits, causing a fire and burn injuries
  • Improper construction or defective materials causes serious injuries, such as crushing or pinching injuries

When wheelchairs are not designed or constructed properly and our loved ones are injured while using their wheelchairs, wheelchair manufacturers need to be held liable for putting unsafe products on the market. When such products cause actual harm, the product may be determined to be defective.

How You Can Help Your Loved One Who Was Injured by a Defective Wheelchair

If your elderly relative was injured by a wheelchair, it is possible that the wheelchair was defective. Manufacturers have a responsibility to make safe products. When they don’t, injured victims could seek damages for their medical bills, future medical care, lost income, future loss of wages or earning capacity, and pain and suffering. If your loved one was injured by a wheelchair, you can help your relative seek legal assistance and compensation for his or her injuries.

Your loved one might have a lawsuit against a wheelchair manufacturer, and you can help your relative find the right attorney to hold the manufacturer accountable for the injuries your loved one sustained and the suffering brought upon your family. Our law firm strives to help injured people receive compensation for their serious injuries caused by unsafe products, and we can help you hold one of these wheelchair manufacturers accountable:

  • Alber
  • Amigo Mobility International
  • Balder USA
  • Bromac Assistive Technology
  • ConvaQuip Industries
  • Dalton Medical
  • Drive Medical Design & Manufacturing
  • Falcon Rehabilitation Products
  • Frank Mobility Systems
  • Gendron, Inc.
  • Go-Chair Portable
  • Gowrings Mobility
  • Graham-Field Health Products
  • Guardian Aspire Power Wheelchair
  • Hotshot Products
  • Hoveround Corporation
  • Independence Technology
  • Innovation in Motion
  • Invacare
  • LEVO USA
  • Karman
  • Medline
  • Merits Powerbase Wheelchair
  • Meyra
  • Orthofab
  • Permobil USA
  • Pride Mobility
  • Redman Power Chair
  • Roscoe
  • RJ Mobility
  • Shoprider Healthcare
  • Sunrise Medical
  • TEFTEC Corporation
  • Tuffcare
  • Zip’r Mobility
  • 21st Century Scientific

If you know of someone who was injured by an unsafe wheelchair, you can help them by sharing this article on Facebook about wheelchair defects.

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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Board Certified Sarasota Personal Injury Attorney