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Hitachi Nail Gun Recall

A recall of Hitachi pneumatic nail guns might not have gone far enough.

In March 2010, Hitachi Koki Co. Ltd. announced it was recalling 50,000 defective nail guns in the United States and 15,000 more in Canada. The design flaw caused nails to shoot sideways at near-bullet speeds. At the time there were 37 reported misfires, 15 injuries, mostly to the eyes, and five cases of partial blindness.

Despite the recall, the number of injuries continues to mount.

Hitachi NV83A2 Recall Notice

The recall period for model NV83A2 was October 2002 to September 2005. However, attorneys have injured clients who used nail guns of the same model that were made outside that time frame. In other words, there are same-model nail guns made after the recall period shooting sideways.

One recent victim is a carpenter who worked for a homebuilder. His Hitachi tool broke a nail in half as it shot it sideways into the man’s lower right eyelid.

Most of the nail guns at issue are used by tradespeople and cost up to $400. They were supposed to come with protective eyewear. Retailers visited by forensic analysts reported the eyewear designed for the Hitachi nail gun at issue has been discontinued.

The analysts found the eyewear was defective also. It left a gap between the glasses and skin large enough for a nail to sail into someone’s eye.

Deposition testimony by Hitachi service technicians in the carpenter’s case indicated that the defect the company paid to fix was not the only problem with the nail gun. A worn spring-loader and other elements of the nail feeder needed replacement also. The forensic analysts, who are engineers specializing in examining defects, found the same thing.

Defective Nail Guns Still Pose As A Serious Injury Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission oversees these products and should force Hitachi Koki to expand the NV83A2 model recall.

If you use the same Hitachi model that was recalled but your nail gun falls outside the recall date, it might be defective.

The serial number on the tool will indicate when it was made. The first number is the month, until October. Then O is for October, N is for November and D is for December. The second digit is the last number in the year it was made, such as “5” for 2005.

Product Liability Lawyers Prepared to Handle Your Personal Injury Case

If you have been injured while using the Hitachi Koki nail gun, you might have a legal claim.

The attorneys of Harris Lowry Manton have decades of experience helping clients injured by defective products. Please call us toll-free at 404-961-7650 or fill out our online contact form.

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