Defective Product
A martial arts instructor lost a leg due to a defective product (punching bag). He settled his products liability lawsuit in Monmouth County. The plaintiff was demonstrating a right-foot kick at his Franklin Township tae kwon do school when the bag’s foam outer layer came apart. This caused him to land incorrectly and injure his left leg.
This eventually triggered reflex sympathetic dystrophy with shooting pain and excessive sweating, and during his surgery, abscesses developed. He had to finally undergo amputation of his left leg below the knee to relieve the problems.
Plaintiff’s attorney Raymond Gill alleged the bag was defective because its hard plastic base and foam padding could not be bound with glue. The plaintiff is able to use a prosthetic leg, but is at risk of septic shock from the infection. He no longer can work as a martial arts instructor.
The suit was settled in Monmouth County after a mediation with retired Superior Court Judge C. Judson Hamlin.
