On June 25, three fighters were injured while using a fire truck to reposition a radio antenna. Two Belle Valley firefighters and one Wattsburg firefighter were in the towers bucket, about 80 feet in the air, when the ladders raising and lowering cables snapped.
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The ladder closed quickly and injured two firefighters while trapping another. The victims were taken to Hamot Medical Center for back, neck and knee injuries.
Following an investigation into the incident, it was found that the wrong cables were installed on the Belle Valley Fire Departments tower truck during a rebuilding two years ago. The trucks manufacturer, Sutphen Corp. of Columbus, Ohio, has accepted responsibility for the incident and will repair the truck at no additional cost.
Sutphen Corp. has not determined the cause of the error, but believes it was an isolated incident. The corporations inspectors examined the truck, which had significant damage to the ladder and bucket, and determined that the wrong raising lowering cables were installed inadvertently.
The trucks ladder was being rebuilt after it was damaged by chemicals it came into contact with while responding to a fire in May 2011. The Belle Valley Fire Department will be relying on mutual aid for calls that require a ladder truck. The department will also make arrangements to put its old ladder truck back in service while the other truck is being repaired.
Have you or someone you love been injured due to a manufacturing defect? Did you know that victims of faulty products may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses and lost wages? To learn more about your options, consider contacting a Cincinnati personal injury lawyer at O’Connor, Acciani & Levy today. Our legal professionals have many years of experience handling lawsuits against large corporations and business, and we charge no upfront fees to handle your personal injury damages claim.