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(UL)Roping A Deer
(Hmmm)Tiger, not lion, kills 1, injurs 2
(DA)Slippery When Wet
(DA)Pulled into the abyss
(Hmm)White Spirit IS Flammable
(?)VA Man Shot to Death While Beating
(DA)Not a Shred of Sense
(DA)Chest Piercing Electrocution
(?)Un-happy slapper
(?)Need for Speed
(?)Great Balls of Fire!
(?)Had big balls.
(?)Rich and Overconfident
(DA)Sneaking Across
Conveyor belt outlasts runner
(?)Let Me Get a Better Look!
(DA)A series of Im-Pined Events
(HM)Home Made IED
(?)Graffitists drown in storm drain
Skier dies after triggering avalanc
Do-I-Yourself Shock Therapry
MANS BEST FRIEND???
Rafts, Rivers, Cement and Bridges
Woman attacked twice by shark
Picnic Lunch
Holy Flaming DOH!
gangsta guns & fireworks don't mix
The high cost of gas
Police: Man Shot Himself In Genital
Auger to Heaven
Drunken driver saves beer
(NO)Disabled man turned himself into hu
Miami of Ohio University...
(?)Jumbolair Airborne BMW
Fire up the BBQ !
(several)
Man stabs self while fleeing
The Faster Method
Kinky Sex, Shocking Death
highway worker nearly earns award
Reverse Mohawk
1 shoot closes slaying case
Grafitti Vandals Drown
When Couch Potatoes Take Root.
two for one
dangerous mixture
Is half a Darwin better then none?
Do Tell
Drowned pair 'spraypainting inside
Man Shot Himself In Genitals During
Explosive Military Intelligence
Men shoot themselves in tattoo atte
Making Deadly Gas at Home
German man goes out with X-mas Tree
vodka+viagra death
Fake hanging becomes all too real
Death by Exploding toilet
Down the drain!
Pneumatic Nail Gun Surprize
One sleeper too many on rail tracks
Man Killed in Backyard Explosion
What was he doing up in that crane?
Semi-Conductor
That is one Fowl Shot
diver drowns for golf balls
Metal fence gets revenge
Burning Pants
Police Break in?
Killer Drill
Go Get the Lawnmower
Next Time Buy a Ticket!
dumest showoff driver ever
Couldn't wait to get down and party
Truck-a-Luck
dangerous dog food
They Ain't no Bo and Luke Duke!
The Blue - Handed Pikeman
Un-happy slapper
Driver found unbuckled in crash, bu
Man Shot Himself In Genitals During
He now hates that 'Tom Tom' GPS!!!
A Crocodile Poacher gets scrambled.
Bare hand versus table saw
Drunken Phone Repair
Knife thief stabs self during getaw
Belly dancing through traffic
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Man held by ankles to snap photo
Super Glue Eye Drops
Eagle explosion
Cutting up a Napalm Bomb
Escalator Misused
Flash Powder near miss
Log Jamming
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elevator surfer
Two men dead after swimming in drai
New year buffaloe ride
freek accident
Rest in Peas
Bike VS. Train
Is Arthur still going to heaven?
Slow Learner
Hangings should never be mocked up
Strong finger for firing a pistol
unsuccessful robber shoots self in
The Death of Deadtown
Don't want to fall out of this bed!
Abused car strikes back
Goat Overcomes Man
New years Nose Ring In Brain
Dog Love
Homosexual Couple Hospitalized
Listen to your parents!
Run over getting the bins in
Man breaks neck in pool accident
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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Pneumatic Nail Gun Surprize

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

In 2003 Bubba Johnson was given a Sears pneumatic nail gun that his mother bought at a local pawn shop in Jacksonville, Texas.Bubba took the nailgun with him to redo the wooden floor of an enclosed trailer in a remote area. Nailing the new floor was going well, when his air compressor failed. Since Bubba was a welder and a handy guy, he rigged up his oxygen supply on his truck to supply the nail gun. In addition, to lubricate the nail gun he gave it a generous dowse of WD-40 lubricating oil. Then he bent over to shoot his first nail into the flooring and pulled the trigger. The next thing Bubba remembers is waking up in the hospital minus two hands and one foot. Since Bubba was no longer able to work he filed a lawsuit against Sears and WD-40 for failure to warn him of the danger of mixing oxygen with lubricating oil. His case was dismissed when his expert's testimony was thrown out. The expert had incorrectly testified that WD-40 was by itself a dangerous and explosive mixture. However, it was revealed to the court through tests and labeling that WD-40 had not used propane as a propellant past 1995 and that the WD-40 used by Bubba contained carbon dioxide and was not explosive.

Submitted on 01/21/2008

Submitted by: Hal Watson, PhD, P.E.
Reference: 2004 Lawsuit in US Federal Court Eastern District of Texas

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Thanks for an amusing story, Hal. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that because they have a little bit of technical know-how that its safe for them to do something as stupid as attaching a nail gun to an alternate energy source. I did a little bit of searching for the relevant court case but didn't have any luck, so I'm only going to vote a PA on this one. If you can find any documentation to back this up please let us know and we'll be glad to upgrade Bubba's story to an HM.


Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Hal, Bubba deserves more than a Personal Account award for this one but without that validating reference that is all I can vote for. Funny story and you should also check the Stella Awards for a possible submission there since they deal with massively foolish law suits. Thanks for the submission.


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