The father of a teenager who was injured three years ago when the homemade bomb he made exploded is suing the store that sold explosive caps to his son boy for Massachusetts personal injury. The defendants in the case are Dee’s Corner LLC, which owns Dee’s Corner Convenience Store in Lynn, and Panaria International, which imports and distributes the “Mighty Popper” product.
Joel Surette was 13 when he bought the explosive caps. He lost the tips of two of his fingers on May 1, 2008 after the device he’d made, using about 100 of the caps, duct tape, and cardboard, went off.
In his Lynn, Massachusetts injuries to a child complaint, Joel’s father, Bernard Surrette, says that store workers told his son that the caps had three times more “explosive material” than other caps, which is why his son chose to buy this particular cap, and that the product (like all fireworks-unless handled by a professional) is illegal in Massachusetts. The elder Surrette’s complaint contends that the store did not exercise reasonable care when it made the Class C fireworks available and should have known that his son might use the fireworks in a manner that could cause him serious harm or injury. He also says that Joel also bought other fireworks that were openly displayed at the store.
Fireworks Can Cause Injuries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in the US in 2008, there were approximately 7,000 emergency room visits because of fireworks-related injuries and seven deaths. Children, teens, and males are those most likely to sustain firework injuries. The hands, fingers, legs, and eyes are the body parts most likely to sustain injuries in a fireworks accident. Burns are also common.
If a dangerous product causes injury to you or a loved one-and the product doesn’t warn of the possible risks-or the distributor shouldn’t have been offering the product for sale to consumers-you may have grounds for filing a Massachusetts products liability lawsuit.
Father of Swampscott teen hurt in fireworks blast sues store, ItemLive, April 30, 2011
Suit filed over fireworks sale to boy, 13, Eagle Tribune, April 30, 2011
Fireworks-Related Injuries, CDC
Related Web Resources:
The National Council of Fireworks Safety
More Blog Posts:
4-Year-Old Dudley Boy Dies in Auburn, Massachusetts Escalator Fall Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, March 16, 2011
Boston Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in Toddler’s Fatal North Attleboro Crib Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, January 12, 2011
Alcohol-Infused Whipped Cream: The New FourLoko?, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 13, 2010
The best way to determine whether you have a case is to speak with an experienced Boston injury lawyer.