Took a trip to the ER today

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
hardpan

hardpan

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Oct 7, 2011
Messages
1,002
Location
Southern Indiana
Yeah I got extremely lucky.... And I'm not looking forward to the bill. View attachment 287738

Yep that's the way mine looked 30 something years ago and for months after it healed I had little bits of saw dust and blue jean coming to the surface. Today it is just a faded little white line. It is a reality check. We both were lucky. Now days I wear chaps.
 
fearofpavement

fearofpavement

Trying them all
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Messages
7,346
Location
middle Georgia
I have the "just before I got chaps" scar on my left thigh. Over $1000 bucks for the 14 stitches about 7 years ago. And it was just a light cut of skin, no meat. Thank the Lord.
 
ppkgmsy

ppkgmsy

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
274
Location
Vermont
Hey buddy, glad you are ok. I've probbaly said this on the board before, but when my son was born 10 years ago I made a promise to never run my saw without chaps and a helmet. Also, I don't cut with guys who won't wear gear. I tell them I don't want their blood in my truck when I have to drive them to the hospital. Whatever the bill from the er visit, you've still got your leg, and your life.
 
mybowtie

mybowtie

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
344
Location
upstate NY
Welcome to the "We should buy 'em" club.. I was a member. Last October I did the same as you, and got bit. 1 ambulance ride and some stiches later, I walked out of there. I now wear chaps all the time.

I hope what happened to you and me makes the "we should buy 'em" club alot smaller....
 
Gadjeep

Gadjeep

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Messages
17
Location
San Leandro, CA
Ugh. Glad you got off that easy. Growing up logging country I've seen some injuries that are just awful. My friend fell off the top of a wet pile of pulp logs after trimming one to length with a 272xp in his right hand without the brake on. Ended up sawing through his collar bone and a bunch of ligaments. They were probably 35 miles from the hospital and over a mile into the woods during mud season. Jack was damn lucky to live through that one. Most accidents happen in haste or complacency.

In other news: ordering chaps and helmet tonight!
 
TreePointer

TreePointer

Addicted to ArboristSite
AS Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
3,967
Location
Western PA
Hey buddy, glad you are ok. I've probbaly said this on the board before, but when my son was born 10 years ago I made a promise to never run my saw without chaps and a helmet. Also, I don't cut with guys who won't wear gear. I tell them I don't want their blood in my truck when I have to drive them to the hospital. Whatever the bill from the er visit, you've still got your leg, and your life.

Good plan.

One neighbor who had been cutting dead wood on our farm for years got upset when I told him that he had to wear all PPE if he wanted to cut. He refused to wear chaps, so I told him that he's not allowed to cut on the property. Later, our family lawyer told us that we were crazy to let anyone cut on our property. Now, we allow only close family and a couple friends to cut on the farm, but I still require PPE (steel toes, chaps, eye & ear protection, gloves).
 
TreePointer

TreePointer

Addicted to ArboristSite
AS Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
3,967
Location
Western PA
Maybe, just maybe we should have a few less lawyers and a little more common sense.

Our estate lawyer's prudence is rooted in history. It's the other guy with the personal injury lawyer who causes the problem in this instance. You let hunters, ATV riders, chainsaw operators, etc., on the property and they sue you for injuries and/or the neighbors sue you for anything they do that mistakenly crosses property lines. It has happened and is a problem for farmers. Some have even lost their farms to pay for damages.

Pennsylvania has taken steps to hold harmless farmers and other landowners who permit hunters on the property if they do not receive a fee for the hunting privilege. The old recreational use clause is still pretty weak and landowners still lose these lawsuits.
 
xcr440

xcr440

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Messages
225
Location
Edgerton Wi
Glad to read your ok. It doesnt take long to do this, a blink of an eye, not concentrating. I have a pair also. I dont wear them all the time. Lazyness, I know. Defiantly will after seeing this.
Thanks for opening my eyes. :rock: we all get complacent over time. Think it wont happen to us.
 
pickwood

pickwood

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
230
Location
Hot Springs NC
I'm in the shoulda/coulda club too-got mine after a 6 inch light cut across my gut. The company I work for has 8000 acres in the NC mtns and they require all PPE if you are going to cut on their property.
 
Philbert

Philbert

Chainsaw Enthusiast
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
19,719
Location
Minnesota
I'm in the shoulda/coulda club too-got mine after a 6 inch light cut across my gut. The company I work for has 8000 acres in the NC mtns and they require all PPE if you are going to cut on their property.

Not to be a smarta**, but my chaps don't go up that high! Can you elaborate on what happened just before that event?

I know that they sell skidder chaps, and the Europeans have the matching jackets and all, but my mid-section is pretty much unprotected against that type of event.

Philbert
 
Rattler05.5

Rattler05.5

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Messages
96
Location
Loveland, CO
I had, at one point pics of a small saw blade that was stuck in a jaw. Unfortunate fellow was trimming a tree, and "it slipped".
Don't think I still have them. Working in an ER has it's fun days! Also had photos of a motorcycle boot that still had a foot/lower leg in it. It was in a cooler. He still rides after adapting his new motorcycle for hand controls.
 
Patrick62

Patrick62

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
2,402
Location
Colorado
been there, done that.

I wear chaps now. You still have to be careful you could still get sliced up :taped:

That was a pretty shallow slice. I would have considered cleanin' it out and put a nice piece of tape across it. Cheaper and faster than ER. You will get a nice scar outta that.
 
MotorSeven

MotorSeven

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
1,374
Location
NE TN
I wear my chaps, one reason is I don't care for pain, but another important reason is that I have a $10,000 deductible. Needless to say I don't go to the ER unless I'm unconsious:laugh: Y'all are right the ER for anything is a $1500 tab & up.
 
Top