Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Suing the Knife Maker

Exactly. That knife is not properly designed to use the gut hook on the off-edge side. It's an accident waiting to happen and did.

It may be a bad design but the guy is a fricken idiot for bringing a bad tool into an environment in which his life may depend on said tool. For doing it, he will probably get paid well. Only in America.

Sorry for the stupid [bleep]. I use end cutters , linemens or othercutters as a knife lends no control when the piece gives way. On stage where I work I always tell my jr workers to use dikes or sidecutters as they are safe. Understand on the trail that carrying many tools are problematic. However the cable tie manifactures recomend sidecutters or like tools. Always cut away from your balls.

Yep .....dumbasses get what they deserve........

Dumbschitts shouldn't be allowed to have sharp objects.

Pretty thoughtless generalisation there redfoxx...sure some lawyers are scum but some of us actually shoot, hunt and don't run around chasing ambulances...

Nuts. That is why something like 30 or 40% of the cost of a ladder is to cover the mfg's liability insurance.

The instruction manual that came with one of my chainsaws cautioned against trying to stop the moving chain with your fingers. I suspect that the warning was a result of a law suit.

the hammer hit my finger last nite........ today i'm looking for a good lawyer....

hows about the pic's in "the manual" that show u NOT how to cut the limb off the tree.... that YOU are standing on.......

I'm just curious.. Have you guys actually met this guy? Seems like everybody is calling him a dumbshit, etc.. I don't live up there, so you guys might be privy to info I don't have. He seems rather accomplished in mushing.

You guys are comparing this incident with others accidents that happened by operator error.

What he is suing about is the design of the knife is such that it can close and cause personal injury while being used PROPERLY, with no fault to the user. He's going to have a tough time proving that. If he had simply cut himself, he'd have no case. But since he feels that he was using the knife properly, and the design caused him to lose his finger, he is suing.

I guess he has the right to sue for the injury, but I have a problem with him suing for "lost wages," claiming he was going to win if not for the injury. That's an awfully big stretch.

Maybe this would ghave been a better choice.

The lawsuit is the issue--we all make stupid mistakes, so hone up.

As for remedy, I'd suggest he pay someone for a primer in buying equipment suitable to the task.

Caveat emptor

If other people have had this happen to them I would think he might have a chance in the lawsuit but this is the first I have heard bout this sort of thing happening with this knife. Using the guthook for something other gutting might be enough in itself for them to dismiss the suit.

Being an accomplished outdoorsman doesn't exclude one from having an "oh [bleep]" moment every now and again. It's his own fault and he should just own up to it and move on.

I was gonna win the silver salmon derby until my rod broke. I should sue. Defending this guy whether you know him or not is just stupid.

Seems to me that Mitch feels a bit entitled. He's run the Iditarod many, many times, and won only once. To sue for lost wages is B.S.

If he broke his sled, would he sue the sled maker? The list goes on and on.

Sounds like he even admitted that he wasn't using the GUT HOOK for its intended purpose. Design flaw or not with a good defense lawyer it should be case closed.

I think the guy that got snake bit in the Wal Mart stands a much better chance of winning.

you to??? what the h*ll.......

If I sued the manufacturer every time I misused a product and injured myself I'd be a rich man today.