Vending Machine Accidents

Most of us have relied on a vending machine for a snack or a drink at one point in our lives. The convenience and relative cost-effectiveness of vending machines make them a valuable addition to most school, offices, and public areas.

However, despite the convenience of these machines, they are notorious for some of the problems they exhibit—especially in dispensing, or not dispensing, a person’s chosen snack. Many people, moved to frustration by this, will attempt to shake their snack free by either reaching an arm up into the machine or by rocking the machine itself.

Actions like these, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, have caused at least 37 deaths and 113 injuries since 1978. Vending machines are not secured to a wall or to the floor, and as such, they have a high chance of falling over when rocked or tilted by a patron.

Nevertheless, despite growing awareness of some of the dangers posed by vending machines, vending machines have not been changed in terms of their design in an attempt to make them any safer or any less likely to tip over.

However, since 1995, it has become standard for all vending machines to have a safety label on them warning customers of the dangers of lifting, tilting, or rocking the machine.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been injured in a vending machine-related accident, contact Cincinnati personal injury lawyer Shawn M. Stepleton today at 513-321-7733 to discuss your situation with a qualified and experienced legal professional.