The Danger of Defective Rental Equipment
Few people have all the tools and equipment that they need to do every job. Instead, there comes a time when we have to rent various products to complete our projects and we have to rely on rental companies to provide us with safe products to use. If something goes wrong, then significant life-changing injuries may occur.
Rental Companies and Products
Clay County, Platte County, Clinton County, and Jackson County have a variety of rental equipment places, including, but not limited to, large chain stores such as Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and U-Haul, hardware stores, rental stores, and locally owned stores.
Depending on your needs, you may rent heavy machinery, tools, or other equipment.
Tools and Heavy Equipment
To complete your project, you may need a tool or machine that is too expensive to buy for the amount that you would use it. Accordingly, you might rent:
- Bucket lifts
- Rototillers
- Saws
- Demolition hammers
- Floor cleaners
- Floor strippers
- Sanders
- Backhoes
- Scissor Lifts
- Aerial lifts
- Forklifts
- Air compressors
- Scaffolding
- Tree trimming equipment
- Concrete equipment
- Wallpaper steamers
- Blowers
- Landscaping equipment
- Stump grinders
- Generators
- Drills and drivers
- Trailers
- Hitches
- Pressure washers
Special Event Equipment
Entertaining large groups or special gatherings may not be something you do often enough to buy the equipment that you need to make your guests or customers comfortable. Therefore, you might rent:
- Tents
- Flooring or staging
- Tables, chairs, extra beds or other furniture
- Inflatables
- Food equipment such as popcorn machines, grills, or cotton candy machines
You might also rent equipment such as a scooter or bicycle for your enjoyment.
Rental Equipment Injuries
Rental companies are responsible for maintaining safe equipment. They could be negligent and cause a renter’s injuries if they fail to:
- Inspect equipment before renting it
- Service equipment as necessary
- Provide all necessary parts of the equipment
- Provide training for using the equipment
A rental company can also be negligent in other ways.
Whenever a rental company fails to exercise reasonable care and provide a renter with a safe product, an injury may occur. Depending on the defect and the piece of equipment, the injuries may include but are not limited to:
- Amputations
- Lacerations
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Death
What to Do After a Rental Equipment Accident Injury
Your time to file a Missouri personal injury claim is limited by state law. In most cases, you have five years to file a lawsuit for personal injury. However, some statutes of limitations can be as short as one year. We encourage you to contact an attorney to review your claim as soon as possible. Essential evidence may be unavailable five years from now and you won’t recover any money for your lost income, medical expenses, out-of-pocket costs, physical pain, or emotional suffering until your case settles or a court decision is issued.
We understand that taking action is easier said than done. You are hurt and may not even know where to begin, but you don’t have to do this alone. The Law Offices of James P. Deffet LLC can help you every step of the way.
Our law firm can thoroughly review your claim, advise you of your rights, make sure that the right defendant(s) are identified, handle all settlement negotiations for you, make sure all legal deadlines are met, and represent you in court to get you the full and fair recovery that you deserve.
You have enough worries right now, and we don’t want the concern about the cost of hiring an attorney to delay you from taking legal action. We offer free, no-obligation consultations so that we can review your potential claim and talk with you about your legal options. If you decide to hire us then we may set up a contingency fee plan so that you don’t owe us any hourly fees, and instead, we are paid an agreed-upon percentage of your legal recovery. This way, you have no financial risk and can pursue a personal injury claim.
Take the first step by calling us or starting a live chat with us now, completing our contact form to set up your free consultation.