Nail guns are dangerous pieces of construction equipment that have the ability to seriously injure a user. Most of the time nail gun injuries can be chalked up to user error. However, a number of people have been injured by defective malfunctioning Hitachi nail guns. In fact, Hitachi has issued recalls on two different models of defective nail guns.
What Is A Hitachi Nail Gun?
Model NR83A3 Hitachi Nail Gun
A nail gun is a tool used to drive nails into wood (or other materials) that a builder needs to permanently bind together. These tools come in a variety of forms including pneumatic, electromagnetic, butane or propane, some even use a small explosive charge.
Hitachi has been manufacturing nail guns for decades, but the tool company has had to recall thousands of nail guns due to reports of injury to users while using their products.
Nail Gun Injuries
Nail guns are designed to drive metal nails into solid surfaces such as wood, drywall, concrete, even metal. They use massive force to achieve this task. If a nail gun misfires or a user operates the tool incorrectly, they can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries. While the most common form of nail gun injury is to the hand, there have also been reports of other serious injuries, which include:
- Lacerations and open wounds
- Hand and finger injuries
- Puncture wounds
- Head injuries
- Bone fractures
- Eye injuries
- Arm and leg injuries
- Corneal abrasions
- Blindness
- Nerve damage
- Nails embedded in bone
- Burns
- Torso injury
- Infection
- Death
Many of these injuries are so serious they require immediate emergency surgery to remove a nail from the body. Doctors recommend that you do not attempt to remove a nail after an accident, due to risk of fatal bleeding. If you have experienced a nail gun misfire injury, you are not alone and the lawyers at Johnson//Becker may be able to help you.
Hitachi Nail Gun Recalls
Hitachi has issued recalls on two separate models of its popular pneumatic nail gun line:
Hitachi Coil Nailers – Model NV83A2
The Hitachi Coil Nailer was linked to a malfunction that caused the nails to fire sideways.
The first recall was seen in 2010, when the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Hitachi’s Coil Nailers (model number NV83A2) were operating with a “faulty feeder”– causing nails to fire sideways. This defective model was linked to dozens of injuries, primarily to the users eye.
The company recalled about 50,000 unites in the U.S., and 15,000 in Canada. At the time of the recall, there were 37 reports of nails that had been ejected sideways; 15 reports of injuries primarily in the eye region. Five people reported partial blindness.
They were sold in home improvement and building supplies stores, including Lowe’s and Home Depot.
Hitachi Koki Pneumatic Nailer – Model NR83A3
The second recall was announced in 2014 for the Hitachi Koki Pneumatic Nailer, which was manufactured with a defect that could cause the tool to “jam and override the safety switch that permits only one nail to fire at a time, posing an injury risk.”
The company ended up recalling about 25,000 units in the U.S., and 300 in Canada. No reports of injuries were included with this recall. The nail guns were sold in home improvement and building supplies stores, including Lowe’s and Home Depot.
Hitachi Nail Gun Lawsuit Settles for $2.5 Million
Martin Oliver, a journeyman carpenter with over 40 years of experience, was awarded a $2.5 Million settlement after a Hitachi Nail Gun discharged a nail into his head– leaving him permanently disabled.
Oliver was using a Hitachi NR83A, the pneumatic nail gun that was constructed with a defective “trip mechanism”. Normally nail guns feature what is called a “sequential trip mechanism”, which is a feature that requires the tip of the tool to be in contact with the nailing surface.
In the case of the defective Hitachi NR83A, the power tool could be fired even after the firing tip was lifted away from a solid surface. This design flaw allowed dozens of people to accidentally tap the trigger and fire a possibly lethal projectile towards themselves or others. This is exactly what happened to Martin Oliver– a single twitch of the finger lodged a three inch nail into his head. Oliver’s injury has left him personally disabled.
Nails Guns, A Dangerous Alternative
Although the Hitachi nail gun recalls may have garnered the most media attention, numerous other tool manufacturers have also been forced to pull their products from the market. These recalls date back to the early 2000’s and raise questions about how long government agencies will allow this to continue. Some of the warnings and recall notices include the following products:
- Porter-Cable Cordless Nailer Puncture Hazard Warning
- Paslode “Tall Red” Fuel Cells Recall
- DeWALT Cordless Brad Nailers Recall
- DeWALT Framing Nailers Recall
- One World Technologies Ridgid Pneumatic Nailers Recall
Do you have a Hitachi nail gun lawsuit?
If you have been injured by a defective Hitachi nail gun, you should contact the lawyers at Johnson//Becker. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries by filing a lawsuit.
We offer a Free Case Evaluation. Please contact us using the form below or by calling us at (800) 279-6386. We would be honored to speak with you and respond promptly to every inquiry we receive.
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