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Products Liability Keyed Owen, 8th Ed.
Southland Mower Co. v. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Citation:
619 F.2d 499 (1980)Facts
Approximately 77,000 people were injured annually by contact with the blades of walk-behind power mowers, resulting in estimated economic costs of $253 million. These injuries included nearly 10,000 amputations, 11,400 fractures, and over 51,000 lacerations. To address this problem, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a safety standard with three main requirements: (1) a foot-probe test to ensure mowers had adequate shielding to prevent foot contact with blades, (2) a blade-control system requiring blades to stop within three seconds after the operator releases the handle, and (3) warning labels. Manufacturers challenged these requirements as exceeding the Commission’s authority, lacking substantial evidence, and imposing unreasonable costs. A consumer advocate separately argued that the three-second blade-stop requirement was too lenient and should be shorter.
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