Rockford man run over by tractor

A Rockford man is hospitalized at Rockford Memorial Hospital after being airlifted from his farm following an accident in which he was run over by his own tractor.  The man was trying to start the tractor and did not realize that it was in gear.  Once the motor was started, the tractor moved forward, running him over.

This is an accident which would have been easily prevented through the use of a safety device known as a dead man's switch.  This is a safety device which would have been incorporated into the seat of the tractor so that the tractor could not be put into drive without there being someone in the seat of the tractor.  Had the tractor been designed in such a way that he would have had to be seated on the tractor to start it, this man would have never been injured.  The failure to include the dead man's switch in the design of the tractor led to this man's injuries.

The failure to incorporate safety devices such as a dead man's switch is a legitimate basis for pursuing a proiduct liability case against the manufacturer based on a design defect.