Taser Overview
 Tasers are powerful, allegedly non-lethal weapons used to subdue people. When they were first introduced into the marketplace they were touted as safe and reasonable alternatives to firearms. Police departments were specifically targeted in the marketing campaign. However, the use of the taser on individuals who have health issues or psychological deficits as well as the weapons safety have come under closer scrutiny in recent months. People have been killed when police have fired tasers at them. The 50,000 volts of electricity shot from the taser render the subject incapable of movement or coordinated thought. After firing, the probes discharged from the taser remain conncected to the hand-held device by high voltage insulated wires that electrocute, via the transmission of electrical pulses, the target person.
Tasers are pistol like weapons that fire electricity up to 25 feet. Death or serious injury have already resulted in the use of this weapon. Taser International Inc. the manufacturer of the taser weapon has maintained in its marketing and promotional material that the weapons "provide advanced, non-lethal weapons for use in law enforcement, private security, and personal defense." The company also maintains that these weapons are among the safest, most effective weapons on the market. The Arizona Republic, in an extensive study, found that since 1999 at least 144 people have died as a result of police taser strikes. In a January 2005 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Zian H. Tseng, MD, a Board Certified cardiovascular specialist and an expert in all aspects of electrophysiology at the University of California, stated that he believes Tasers are dangerous and can cause ventricular fibrillation. In the article, he states, "an ill timed Taser can be fatal."
If you have been injured or a loved one has died as a result of this dangerous product, contact me. I'm a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who's been helping families since 1987.
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