Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

Nail gun injuries are rising and these tools are unsafe and poorly regulated according to a report by The Sacramento Bee. Victims of nail gun injuries have filed and won many lawsuits against both nail gun manufacturers and construction companies for wrongful death, negligence and faulty product production. Approximately 42,000 people are hurt in nailgun accidents each year. In California, about 500 nail gun work-related injuries are reported annually. Professionals and novices are at risk. If you or a loved one has been injured by a nail gun in California, please consult an attorney immediately. Call us now for your free-consultation.

Nail Gun Equipment Information
Nail guns are made by multiple manufacturers and are used at a variety of sites. The nail gun's function is to aid building construction by firing nails propelled by compressed air, also known as pneumatic firing. Nail-gunned nails can travel up to 490 feet per second and fire rapidly, up to 30 nails per minute. Nail guns are extremely powerful. In one incident, a nail killed a worker after traveling 27 feet.

Contact-Tip Mode: A special feature, known as "contact tip", provides an automatic mode by which nails are fired whenever they make contact with any surface, including the human body, once the trigger is pulled. Nail guns in contact tip mode appear to be responsible for the majority of nail gun injury incidents.

Nail Gun Dangers
The newspaper reports that safety regulation and labor agencies are not doing enough to address the dangers of nail guns. Dangers of nail guns include:

• hazardous design, specifically:
  *automatic or "contact tip" mode
  *trigger location


• improper training at work sites


• insufficient safety precautions supplied by employers, including safety goggles or shields


• poor availability of consumer safety information at rental and retailing establishments

Doctors, engineers and safety commissions are all urging the modification of nail gun design, the restriction of nail gun usage, and in some cases, an all out nail gun ban. Most arguments against nail guns are against the "contact tip" or automatic mode. Research indicates that up to 75% of nail gun injuries are the result of automatic firing.

Nail Gun Injuries
Nail guns have become increasingly popular in the past 10 years, and as a result, nail gun injuries have increased three-fold in the past decade. Injuries from nail guns can range from mild to severe. Injuries sustained from nail gun accidents are more common and costly than those from manually and mechanically operated saws and sanders. Commonly, nail gun accidents resulting nails entering hands, eyes, heads and chests. Reports exist of:

• fingers being nailed together


• eyes impalement


• partial and complete paralysis, from nails entering the spinal cord

death, from nail entering the brain, heart or severing arteries

Nail Gun Injury Victims
Victims of nail gun injuries vary in background. Those frequently injured are:

• People doing home improvements


• New construction workers


• Non-union carpenters


• Bystanders and Passersby, including those in neighboring buildings or rooms, or those who are driving or walking by a worksite
  550 people are injured each year in this fashion

If you or someone close to you has been injured with a nail gun in California, please contact an experience attorney to help you learn your rights. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP have over 50 years combined experience in personal injury law. Please call us toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a private consultation. Let us help you during this difficult time. Call us now.