Southland Mower Co. v. Consumer Product Safety Commission
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
619 F.2d 499 (1980)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (defendant) promulgated three lawnmower safety regulations based on 77,000 annual lawnmower injuries and an economic-impact study: a foot-probe test requirement at both the rear of the mower and the side discharge chute, a blade-control system stopping blades within three seconds of hands leaving the handle, and a warning label requirement; lawnmower manufacturers (plaintiffs) challenged all three, arguing the discharge-chute foot-probe test wasn't reasonably necessary (supported by evidence of only one such injury) and that the three-second blade shutoff timeframe was excessively strict and costly.
Whether an administrative agency may issue safety regulations if the severity of the injury that could result from the product, factored by the likelihood of the injury, offsets the harm the regulations impose upon manufacturers and consumers.