BJ’s Club Loses Risk Argument in Snow Blower Case

A jury should decide whether a young man voluntarily assumed the risk of unclogging a snow blower while the engine was on, a federal court ruled Nov. 14. The court then denied summary judgment to BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc., the company that sold the blower to the man’s parents. The plaintiff, who lost part of one finger and fractured another when his hand was drawn into the auger blades, testified that he released the control levers on the handlebar and believed that “when you stop the levers, that stops everything,” the U.S. District Court for the District of Pennsylvania said. ...