Allegheny County Courthouse
PITTSBURGH – The maker of an industrial torque wrench faces a lawsuit alleging it malfunctioned and injected hydraulic fluid through a worker’s arm.
Darrin Ford sued TorsionX and distributor Sesar Industrial last week in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, alleging a host of horrible-sounding injuries like a severe bacterial infection in Ford’s hand, tissue necrosis and nerve compression.
Ford is losing strength in his left hand as a result of the accident, the lawsuit says, and faces large future medical bills.
“Defendants knew or should have known of the dangerous, hazardous and defective condition of the subject torque wrench, and its component parts, compression fittings, generators, air compressors, valves, tubing, reactor, pressure vessel and/or other equipment necessary to operate the torque wrench, and the great danger these products exposed to husband plaintiff as the intended user,” the suit says.
Ford was a shop technician at TechnipFMC in Charleroi on Jan. 12, 2024, while he was using the hydraulic wrench to tighten a nut. The wrench stopped working, and Ford attempted to remove its head.
A swivel “gave out,” the suit says, which injected hydraulic fluid at approximately 6,000 psi into the palm of Ford’s left hand.
“The hydraulic fluid entered plaintiff’s left palm and radiated up into his left wrist and forearm,” the suit says.
In addition to physical injuries, Ford alleges nervousness, emotional trauma, anxiety and depression. His fingers stiffen up now and his hand swells, and he charges the defendants with putting an unsafe product into the marketplace to maximize profit.
Ford’s lawyer is Peter Friday of Friday & Cox in Pittsburgh.
