Reduce table saw accidents with SawStop

“When something goes wrong, you simply can’t move faster than a spinning blade.

Below are the stories of individuals who suffered tragic incidents before buying a SawStop.

Accident Victims Stories

Dennis Milton SawStop

One little slip, one mistake can change your life forever 

When you hear that a table saw injury can be drastically life-altering, you can’t really appreciate what that means until you live it. Dennis Melton lives it. The Portland, Oregon man suffered a workplace injury that forever changed his life. 

Patrick Callahan Table Saw Injury

“I’m not whole anymore. I had a part of me that…I don’t have anymore. And I can’t get it back”

SawStop

Patrick Callahan was working at his stone and countertop production business in 1998, cutting Corian (a synthetic material used for countertops) on a contractor-style table saw—without the blade guard in place—for a custom job. Unfortunately, the Corian rode up on the blade, then snapped back down and shattered, pulling Patrick’s left hand—his dominant hand—into the blade. Instantly, he suffered severe injuries to his thumb and two fingers. 

Table Saw Accident Victims

These woodworkers have honored us with their stories. Please take a moment to listen.

David Stivelman Testimonial

David Stivelman testimonial 

David Stivelman had to learn to care for his newborn son just nine months after suffering a horrific accident in his home woodworking shop. The accident cost him half of the index finger on his right hand, as well as permanently damaging two other fingers.

Two Accidents in One Month

Joe M. (woodworker)

Joe, now retired, worked for 30 years as a general contractor. Joe had two accidents in a one month period doing woodworking as a hobbyist. As result of the accident, he no longer has feeling in the tips of his fingers on his left hand, and his right hand appears deformed.

Amputation of Finger

Brandan S. (hobbyist)

“It flung my finger. I couldn’t turn the saw off because I was in shock.”

The Facts


In the United States alone, over 65,000 people are victims of table saw accidents each year. The impact on the victim is substantial and in some ways immeasurable. OSHA estimates that the cost to a business of a single amputation is more than $130,000 on average. But these numbers do not take into account the pain of the accident, the ER visit, the surgeries and years of physical therapy.

There is no measure for the regret a business owner, supervisor or teacher has knowing they allowed those in their care to be placed in harm’s way. The simplest fact is that SawStop is the only engineered solution to reduce these tragedies to a band-aid and a new brake cartridge and blade.

Share Your Story

​Everyday we receive stories from people about how SawStop has changed their life—some after experiencing accidents, others who became an advocate without having to first suffer, irreversible consequences. Whatever the case, we watch/read/listen to all of the stories we receive and always welcome more.

If you have a story to share, a video to submit or an picture you’d like to upload, please use this form to tell us how SawStop is impacted your life.

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