
Manufacturing Defect: Plaintiff Side
Multi-Disciplinary Investigation of a Chair Failure
A plaintiff was leaning back on his office chair when he heard a loud snapping noise and fell backwards off the chair. Through x-rays we were able to determine a that a torsion rod intended to provide stability to the chair back had broken.
With the opposing side’s cooperation, we performed a destructive inspection together with a metallurgical examination that revealed a manufacturing defect in the torsion rod that caused it to fail.
The plaintiff, who was a fireman, was unable to work due to his injuries. Plaintiff received a seven figure settlement.
The subject chair after the incident (note that it does not return to the upright position).
Forensic Investigation