Attorney John Gehlhausen is intimately familiar with the risks of riding mowers, including John Deere, Toro, or Snapper zero-turn-radius rotary machines. Victims of rollover accidents are encouraged to schedule a free case evaluation with Mr. Gehlhausen to discuss his or her injury claim.
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What compensation can I receive for my riding lawn mower accident?
The Law Offices of John Gehlhausen, P.C. will fight to help victims recover lost support, funeral expenses, medical-related expenses, and lost wages, as well as compensation for pain and suffering, lost companionship and other hardships...
What are the major causes of riding lawn mower accidents?
When used on ditch banks or inclines, riding lawn mowers can roll over and pin or crush the rider beneath their weight...
Having spent many years aggressively representing victims of riding mower and tractor accidents, attorney John Gehlhausen has become an outspoken advocate of riding mower safety, as he demonstrates in the following article. Mr. Gehlhausen has worked on cases involving numerous tractor and lawn tractor manufacturers. Zero-turn-radius rotary mowers can roll over in serious accidents and cause substantial injury or death to the operator. Proper safety equipment is the only way to decrease the unnecessary risk of injuries and death when these accidents happen. If you or a loved one is the victim of a rollover accident, please contact John Gehlhausen to schedule a consultation to discuss your injury claim.
RESIDENTIAL ZERO TURNING RADIUS RIDING MOWERS NEED ROPS ALSO
By: John Gehlhausen
Riding Mower Accident Product Liability Attorney
The manufacturers of zero-turn-radius riding mowers (ZTRs) in many instances have divided their ZTRs into two categories. Their cheaper, lighter-weight models are often marketed as "residential," while heavier, more expensive models are frequently marketed as “commercial." The reader would be well-advised to note that for safety purposes this is simply a false distinction. In terms of safety, all ZTRs roll over, and all ZTRs can kill the operator when they do.
Consequently, many manufacturers have chosen to place safety frames with seatbelts, known as rollover protective systems (ROPS), on their "commercial" models, or at the very least make them available as optional equipment. However, those same manufacturers very often choose not to make ROPS available to the consumer for lightweight, cheaper, "residential" models even as optional equipment. This arbitrary choice is an illustration of the manufacturers’ callousness toward the operators of these machines, offering them no protection when the mowers roll over. It makes no sense to make ROPS safety frame systems available for professionals who are the most experienced and less likely to be involved in a rollover while simultaneously failing to offer ROPS to homeowners who do not have the same level of expertise. The value of a human life is no less precious because the operator is using a ZTR around his or her home rather than operating the ZTR for income. Operators of so-called “residential” mowers deserve the same level of protection on their machines (in the form of ROPS) as do commercial operators.
Injuries resulting from zero-turn-radius rotary mower accidents can severely impair a victim for life. If you or a loved one has been injured in a lawn mower accident, please contact the Law Offices of John Gehlhausen, P.C., to schedule an evaluation of your injury claim. Mr. Gehlhausen has been tirelessly fighting for justice on behalf of accident victims in riding mower accident cases for many years.