Exploding Chainsaw Suit Against Stihl Proceeds

Stihl Inc., the maker of a recalled chainsaw that allegedly exploded and burned a Mississippi man, had sufficient contact with the state to be sued there, a federal district court ruled July 13.

But the injured man, Melvin Rush, “is not yet out of the woods” on jurisdiction and will have to prove all the requirements before trial, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi said. That includes the issue of where the Model 029 chainsaw was sold.

The federal court denied Rush’s request to return the case to state court. Rush argued that the man from ...