Cash-strapped homeowners are trying to cut costs by replacing the kitchen floor or fixing a pipe themselves rather than hiring a contractor. But some are ending up with a trip to the emergency room instead.
Nick Jouriles, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, says he has seen an increase in injuries from do-it-yourself projects in the past year, and he says it's probably the result of homeowners trying to save money in a struggling economy.
A member poll by Angie's List, a website featuring user reviews of contractors, found that 83% of respondents choose to do projects themselves so they can save money. But often the savings can be lost when a homeowner is forced to hire someone to redo the job or ends up in the emergency room.
Members of the website have reported injuries ranging from being hit in the eye by a falling hammer to slicing off half a thumb with a carpet cutter.
One Angie's List member, Matt Taylor, reported that a surgeon had to use pliers to pull a nail out of his arm after he accidentally shot himself with a nail gun while framing a pocket door.
No organization tracks do-it-yourself injuries, but anecdotes are rolling in:
*Jouriles, an Akron-based emergency physician, says he saw a patient just last week who fell off a ladder while fixing his roof. The patient told him he should have hired someone to do the job, but he was trying to cut costs.
*Arlo Weltge, an emergency room physician in Houston and spokesman for the emergency-physicians organization, says he sees injured do-it-yourselfers in the emergency room "all the time." He says he has even seen someone die from a brain injury after falling off a ladder while cleaning the gutter.
"A lot of these things are well-intentioned and not necessarily difficult, but unfortunately we see a lot of these," he says.
*Jennifer Hussey, an Angie's List member based in San Antonio, was almost blinded while trying to fix something on Mother's Day weekend. She was hit in the eye when the hammer she was using to remove molding fell from a 10-foot ladder.
Todd Taylor, a physician working for Microsoft in Tennessee, opted to make some roof repairs a few years ago. The former emergency room doctor ended up with two broken legs and had to use a wheelchair for two months after falling from a ladder.
Jacqueline Agnew, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's education research center, says homeowners should consider the risks before starting a project.
"There's no cost saving that's going to make it worth risking a serious disability," she says.
Paul Zuch, president-elect of the National Association for the Remodeling Industry, says hiring a contractor can be a safer bet because it gives homeowners someone to blame if something goes wrong.
"They kind of shift the onus back to themselves when they take on these projects," he says.
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