Most modern sinks are equipped with a handy garbage disposal which is there to chop of up any food that might be clogging the drain. With dishes to wash and food to scrape off of places, the garbage disposal acts as a helping hand that can enable you to get your dishes done efficiently. Yet this helpful tool can also be an extremely dangerous item. Sometimes, garbage disposals can cause electrocution. This can be a product liability lawsuit if the product was not created so that the design prevented this danger. Also, if you are not warned of the danger of electric shock then you may be able to sue the garbage disposal manufacturer as a result.

Garbage disposals pose the threat of electrocution because they are used when water is running and operate on electricity. Typically, the disposals are designed to make sure that the electric wires never make contact with the water. However, as the disposal is used, the vibrations that occur can start to cause the coating on the wires to wear off. As there is more contact between the water and the wires, this can facilitate possible electrocution. Also, many times people will leave spoons, knives, or forks in the garbage disposal. This can be tragic because they may conduct the electricity and shock a person who does to pull the utensil out.

In addition to this, there is another danger with garbage disposals that is not commonly considered. When the disposal gets backed up and is connected to a septic system, it can cause toxic waste to seep through the backed up pipes and into the ground water levels. This means that water can be contaminated, or fumes from the pipes may escape causing a toxic smell and producing chemicals that should never be breathed in. This can also cause the spread of bacteria, and as a result people may fall ill. Older garbage disposal systems often have this issue, as well as systems that get clogged by bulky food items that should be thrown in the trash rather then put down the sink.

If you have septic tank system on your property, then you should hire someone to inspect and ensure that everything is working properly at least once a year. If you are living in a rental, or are currently in a vacation home or hotel, then it is the landlord or owner’s responsibility to make sure that all garbage disposals are operating safely and that the septic tanks are not overloaded. If you are injured by an electric shock or a septic issue when staying in a hotel or another rental then you may have the right to sue depending on the circumstances of the incident.

The last and most common reason for garbage disposal injuries is because of lacerations. The spinning blades of a garbage disposal can easily catch a person’s fingers and slice them if the individual puts his hand down the drain while the disposal is on. There are also some times that the garbage disposal blades can slice a person’s hand if they are not on because they are still sharp. Many times people will stick their hand down a garbage disposal when they are not thinking of the consequences because they are preoccupied with the goal to retrieve whatever fell down the drain.

People will drop wedding rings or other valuable pieces of jewelry and may reach to grab them before remembering about the sharp blades. If you have been injured this way, then you may be able to seek compensation. Contact a local personal injury attorney if you need more information and want to determine whether or not you have a case. Chances are that if you injured yourself at home using your own garbage disposal, there is not much you can do unless you can prove product liability. Yet if you are at a hotel or were injured by the garbage disposal in the work kitchen, you may be able to gain compensation.

This is especially true if there is no sign warning you that it is dangerous to place your hand down the drain. Oftentimes public places like hotels are required to post a visible warning so that people are aware of the fact that there is risk associated with putting their hand down the drain. This is often considered a premises liability claim because the owner of the property had a responsibility to warn you of any know dangers. Learn more by hiring a local personal injury lawyer today!