Simple Tool Rule Law and Legal Definition
Simple tool rule refers to the principle that an employer has no duty to warn its employees of dangers that are obvious to everyone involved. Similarly, an employer does not have any duty to inspect a tool that is within the exclusive control of an employee when that employee is fully acquainted with the tool’s condition.
The simple tool rule exempts an employer from liability where the instrument or tool which is the cause of the injury is so simple in nature and character that a person accustomed to its use can not fail to appreciate the risks of danger incident thereto.[ Donahue v. Louisville, H. & S. L. R. Co., 183 Ky. 608 (Ky. 1919)]
