Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Suing the Knife Maker

Sounds like the knife wasn't the only "Tool" that made that trip to Nome!

At least we're still free to carry knives..........

What a fool... I cut myself all the time like this (not as severely obviously), never thought about suing the knife manufacturer because I'm a dumb ass and am not careful with a sharp object...

Yeah, I got a Spyderco Delica confiscated in London a few years ago. The bad thing was that I was on my way to do a few days of hiking in the Scottish Highlands. I felt naked without it.

Welcome to the Nation of Victims. Why take responsibility for yourself when you can sue someone else and get rewarded for being a f@&$up.

I thought this kind of BS was outlawed in Alaska?

Yep, me too... thought the only litigation happy arse holes were here in Texas...

Lawyers are scum... a million of them on the bottom of the ocean is NOT a good start, just a symposium of arse holes...

He should have cut his throat, would have saved our legal system a lot of BS....

So next time we go to buy a knife or shop at Sportsman's, we know who to blame for the escalating costs.

As Calvin mentioned, easy to see how it happened and I think the design stinks but...he bought it and Im still trying to figure out how he cut his finger off. I can see how it would release but it seems like it would close up into the web between index finger and thumb.

His attorney will get the opportunity to fill the jury full of women who were raised in pickle jars; IOW, all they use a knife for is cutting up food in the kitchen.

I've seen it happen all too often in criminal trials. The defense loads the jury with people who have never ventured far from their yard, and the state sits on their [bleep] thumbs during jury selection, then wonder why the defendant was acquitted.

This is really a pretty important case and could set a disastrous precedent if he wins and Kershaw lets the verdict stand. If that moron wins I believe Kershaw will appeal it, as well they should. Imagine that, he cut himself with a sharp knife. If functioned exactly as it was designed to function.

He was probably holding it like a steak knife and shoving the blade under the cable-tie and past the gut hook, then pulling back and hooking the cable-tie, cutting it. His thumb and the web of his hand would be on the back of the knife while his index finger was underneath. He pulled back once, hit the lock-release, and the blade closed toward him and over his index finger.

my guess, and it's only a guess, is that he held the knife normally.. and hooked the binding, and moved his hand upward (like doing a hammer curl)to try to break the bonding. Do it with enough force and have that blade come down on you, and bye bye finger. I'm sure he's an experienced guy, handy with blades, and has spent a good deal of time in the outdoors. (considering his record of success). He just didn't realize that when he was putting pressure to cut through that band, that he was also depressing the mechanism to unlock the blade. He's going to have a tough time winning in court though, especially since that he wasn't using the gut hook in the way it was intended to be used.

It is a good reminder for those of use who get out in the field a bunch that design matters. Only takes a split second to make a mistake like that in the field, and since we are out there doing things much more often than the average keyboard commando, odds are we might make an error once in awhile.

he's still a fricken idiot. if I could sue every maker of every tool I have ever hurt myself on, I would have trump mowing my lawn.

Folks here are right there is no personal responsibility any more in this country.

My wife nailed her hand to a table once using a senco nailer, can I sue them since they didnt build in a safety that can interpret a finger vs a board? wow, maybe you can make money for being an idiot.

Got it, I was thinking he was holding the knife upside down and his index finger depressed the lock and it closed on him. Calvin it is a great point that design matters and a bad one will eventually bite you in the azz.

Well then, we obviously are lacking enough regulation from our heroic congress to help consumers choose or avoid tools that may get hurt them if used in ways they were not designed for!

And some taxes on the industry to place in a centralized fund to raise revenue for the awareness campaign by the newly appointed Consumers Awareness Czar. Perhaps all new knives should first have their design submitted to a federal agency for approval.

We can regulate our way out of human error if the court system leads the way.

I think he has a good chance of making some money. The design is flawed....when fatigued someone will make a mistake and hurt themselves by depressing the lock when using a reverse hold. Easy meat for a lawyer.

Is it right? No...but if the rules are set up this way the design team needs to pay more attention.

The rules change with each new successful exploitation. He probably will get some money for buying and using that knife in that situation due to social acceptance that stupid mistakes should be remedied. Ideally,we need to find a way to sue God.

On a smaller scale I would like to sue Walmart and all of China as sellers and makers of tea kettles that dribble when you pour them. The cheap ones simply don't perform. Perhaps some of us could get together and do a class action suit?

If he wins this, I'm going after the gas jug makers next. I honestly can't believe that the Environmental Pollution Agency could come up with rules so effective in creating greater pollution and contamination. Unvented gas jug designs are the "Duh, you idiot! Of course it's going to glug and slop all over the place, even if you're careful. Now go wash your hands." winning idea in the Keep California Happy category. (I have decided the spouts are discardable parts, and just glug gas through a large funnel into the gasoline burning device at hand. How's that for fume free fueling, CARB/EPA?)

I just had a thought (believe it or not). A few years ago I whacked my left thumb real hard with a hammer - hurt like hell & went black & blue. Guess this dummy shoulda sued the manufacturer and the hardware store I got it from. Boy!!! Was I ever a dummy for not suing.
Bear in Fairbanks

Mushers Meeting

Knife handling 101!

God forbid should a Musher injury themselves with a ax that they are required to carry.