Abstract: A hand-operated jointed control lever assembly that allows normal operation when moved in a first direction by an operator's grip, but disjoints without breaking when moved in other directions. The control lever naturally returns to its normal mode of operation when the abnormal stressing forces of an accident or fall are removed from the lever. The lever assembly has a lever body and a lever arm with respective mating fulcrum surfaces and a tensioning cable passing through the fulcrum surfaces, with a tensioning spring exerting force on the tensioning cable to draw the fulcrum surfaces together. The lever body has a rearwardly-extending lip in engagement with a forward edge of the lever arm, allowing side-to-side disjointed movement and outward disjointed movement opposite the first direction.