ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- In this downturn economy, home invasions and robberies are on the rise and so is the increased urge by property owners to take the law into their own hands.

In just the last two weeks, we've seen several different instances where homeowners have fought back and won.

But, where is the line when it comes to self defense and protecting what's your home?

Grant Lambert says a machete saved his and his family’s lives.

"They came at me physically with firearms, as far as I was concerned," Lambert said.

When two thieves broke into Lambert's home waving a baseball bat and a toy gun that Lambert thought was real, he wasted no time fighting back.

"This stuff about run away from your property when armed men have you backed into a corner is crazy, it's fight or die," Lambert said.

"They were masked and hooded, but due to their injuries, you could tell them. They were bleeding profusely from head and neck area," Boyd County Sheriff Terry Keelin said.

Suspects Chris and Randal Artrip spent some time in the hospital before heading to jail.

Another home invasion turned self-defense happened in Huntington this past weekend. It involved the homeowner shooting the intruder. Police say Houston McClung broke into Michael Legg's home Saturday morning but left with a gunshot wound to the side.

It all begs the question -- how far can you go to protect your property? We found in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, you can freely act in self-defense to protect your property and have no duty to retreat or run away, but may stand your ground and if you feel threatened fight back -- even if that means the use of deadly force.

"It's a double-edged sword," Keelin said. "Sometimes, it's not the right time to defend yourself if someone is not trying to hurt your physically because you could get hurt as well."

But, for Lambert, it was a no-brainer.

"I look at it like this. If I hadn't defended myself, me and my family would either be dead or in the hospital," he said.

Some prosecutors told WSAZ.com that home invasions are getting so bad, they've had homeowners call them asking about their rights --leading some to think these instances of self-defense will rise. The laws of self-defense also extend to your car and, in some cases, your workplace.