Taser Faces Another Product Liability Suit

By Jaimee Wolbert

Published on November 29, 2005

The Scottsdale-based company that makes tasers is being sued for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages after a county deputy suffered a severe injury during a certification training exercise required by the manufacturer.

Samuel Powers received the 50,000-volt hit in July 2002 during a training exercise to become certified to use the weapon. Taser International Inc. requires that users experience a Taser shock as part of its certification process.

The 47-year-old former deputy suffered a spinal fracture as a result of the jolt and was forced into early medical retirement.

Lawyers for the plaintiff allege that the company misled users about the product's safety and the number of serious and permanent injuries related to its use.

In a statement, Taser International denied the claims and asserted that the injury was a result of the user's own negligence or misuse of the weapon.

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