Jury Verdict Goes Against Harry Reid in Exercise Band Injury Lawsuit

Former Senator Harry Reid lost his bid to sue the maker of an exercise band after he could not establish that it was the company’s exercise band that he was using when the injury occurred. According to Reid, his son inexplicably disposed of the exercise band that Reid claims caused severe injuries including blindness in one eye. Reid said that the elastic product slipped from his hand which caused him to totter over and injure himself. But without a smoking gun defective exercise band to bolster his suit, he was unable to convince the jury that it was the defendant’s exercise band that harmed him

Reid testified in front of jurors in a wheelchair claiming that the TheraBand made by Hygenic Corp. was defectively designed. In product liability cases, the plaintiff need not prove negligence but only that they used the device the way that it was meant to be used and the device caused their injuries.

Reid’s attorneys had initially alleged negligence but dropped that allegation midway through the trial.

Strict Liability in Product Liability Lawsuits

To say that companies are strictly liable for injuries caused by their products doesn’t require much effort. The plaintiff is put in the position of showing that they were using the device correctly and it failed causing injuries. In every case, however, the plaintiff is expected to prove that they named the correct defendant. In most cases, this is relatively obvious because the plaintiff still has the product. In this case, the plaintiff did not have the product nor could they establish that the defendant made the product that caused their injuries by any other means.

Some Claim Reid was Targeting By Nefarious Agents

In the age of conspiracy theories, Harry Reid’s unfortunate interlude with the exercise band presents us with one of the more amusing theories: That Reid was the target mobsters. According to this ‘theory’, Reid showed up at the ER with severe facial injuries and bruised ribs. The only plausible explanation for that is, of course, mobsters. Why the mobsters were targeting Reid is a matter for more speculation.

Rather than go with the obvious answer: That Reid is nearly 80 and suffers from pancreatic cancer and thus bruises very easily, one ‘reported’ suggested that Reid’s injuries are a clear indication that he suffered some kind of assault. Because Reid is blaming an exercise band, it probably means the mafia.

If you’re having difficulty following this ‘logic’, that’s because there isn’t any. However, there is one great takeaway that we can use to learn and grow from this situation. If you are seriously injured by a product that you claim broke and resulted in serious, crippling, injuries, by all means, keep that product so that you can present it as evidence in your personal injury trial.

Talk to a Jacksonville Product Liability Attorney

If you’ve been injured by a defective product (or even the mafia) a personal injury attorney can help you recover damages for your injuries. The skilled Jacksonville product liability attorneys at Gillette Law have litigated several such lawsuits. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Resource:

myjournalcourier.com/news/article/The-Latest-Jury-rejects-Harry-Reid-therapy-band-13746120.php

https://www.gillettelaw.com/product-implicated-in-deaths-of-ten-babies/