Table Saw Manufacturer’s Failure to Include Automatic Guard is Not a Design Defect Under New York Law

On July 8, 2015, New York’s Second Department held that a design defect claim cannot be based upon a table saw manufacturer’s failure to include an automatic guard.

In Chavez v. Delta International Machinery Corp., 2014-05235, 2015 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5769 (N.Y. App. Div. [2d Dep’t] July 8, 2015), the trial court denied the branch of the defendant’s motion for summary that sought to dismiss all claims based upon allegations that a table saw was defective for not including an automatic safety device – an interlock device that would prevent the saw from operating unless the blade guard was properly in place. Read the rest of this entry »