Hunters in Texas are at risk of being seriously injured, falling out of a tree, paralysis, and death due to tree stand accidents.
Need a Texas Treestand Accident Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texas who have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was injured in a tree stand accident, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
What is the Problem?
In recent years, thousands of tree stands have been recalled for safety hazards by many manufacturers. Juries have awarded multi-million dollar verdicts in favor of the victims or their surviving family members.
Treestand Accidents
Treestands provide a huge advantage for hunters, but the benefits come with life-threatening safety risks. Approximately 300-500 hunters are killed every year in deer stand accidents, and another 6,000 suffer injuries, according to a study by the International Hunter Education Association.
The worst of these falls occur at heights of 15 to 30 feet, but even lower falls (such as when ascending or descending the tree) can cause serious injuries or death. It all depends on what the person hits on the ground, or branches. The hunter’s firearm could also fire unexpectedly.
$18.5 Million Verdict for Hunter Paralyzed in Treestand Accident
In August 2017, a jury in Kentucky awarded $18.5 million to Kevin O’Bryan, a turkey hunter who was permanently paralyzed after a tree stand made by Primal Vantage fell to the ground.
The jury also found O’Bryan partly responsible for his injuries, because he failed to inspect the stand before he used it, failed to use a safety harness, and allowed another man and a child to use it. The stand was installed 5 years earlier on another man’s land in Kentucky.
Jury Awards $157 Million After Treestand Lawsuit Filed by Widow
In 2009, the widow of a hunter who died in a treestand accident was awarded $157 million by a jury in Indiana. The jury deliberated for only 1 hour before awarding $157 million in damages, which was the largest-ever jury award for a defective product to a single plaintiff in Indiana’s history.
According to the lawsuit, the family was camping in Indiana in October 2005 when Timothy Simonton set up a treestand made by Ol’ Man Tree Stands to scout for deer. The treestand somehow broke, and he was found dead, strangled to death by his safety harness.
In 2007, about 9,000 Ol’ Man Tree Stands were recalled because the locking pins could fall out, causing a hunter to fall.
Examples of Treestand Recalls
In recent years, thousands of defective tree stands have been recalled for safety hazards. Here are just a few examples:
- December 2022 — Summit Treestands recalled about 2,555 Viper® Level Pro SD tree stands because the tree cable can dislodge from the cable assembly, posing a fall hazard.
- December 2021 — Big Game Treestands recalled about 1,030 of “The Captain Hang-On Treestand (Model BGM-FP0050)” after 10 hunters fell when the cables released.
- November 2020 — X-Stand Treestands recalled about 3,400 Silent Adrenaline and Apache Climbing Treestands from the 2017 model-year after 2 hunters fell and suffered bone fractures.
- April 2019 — Dick’s Sporting Goods recalled about 2,600 Field & Stream Timberline Hang-On Tree Stands because the seat can break and hunters can fall.
- October 2015 — About 12,200 Big Game Climbing Tree Stands were recalled because the cable assembly can release. One hunter fell and suffered injuries to their knee, wrist, and hip.
- September 2015 — Millennium Outdoors recalled about 1,400 of their M-60 Fixed Position Treestands because hunters can fall out of the seat.
- January 2015 — Primal Vantage recalled about 1,000 of their Ameristep Hyde Cliff Hanger Tree Stands and Sky Walker Tree Stands after 6 reports of the platform breaking.
- And more
Need a Treestand Accident Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.
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