What To Do When You’ve Been Injured By A Defective Product
Michael Babboni
Recalls
Whether it’s a vehicle, a kitchen appliance, a cosmetics tool, or any product you purchase from a store, you have a certain expectation of safety. However, you don’t always receive that standard of care, and when this happens, you may find yourself with an injury due to a defective product. Defective products can lead to auto accidents and other personal injury situations, leaving you with mounting medical costs and potentially long recovery times.When you’re injured after using a product, you may be entitled to compensation, but you will need to know how to approach the situation in the correct way. There are many different types of defective products, and knowing what you’re working with is the first step to forming your case. The three types of product liability cases when dealing with a defective product are:
• Design defects – In some instances, an entire line of products will have some type of core flaw that will cause them to work improperly even if they’re being used in the correct way. This usually stems from some portion of the product not being considered during the design process for the product, leading to this design to malfunction while the product is in use. Design defects can lead to potentially tragic consequences for users of products even when that product is used in complete compliance with its rules or directions.
• Manufacturing defects – Manufacturing defects typically don’t affect every single product in the line, but only those products that were subjected to the manufacturing mistake. This means that you could have a product with no defect, but a neighbor can have the same product, from the same brand, and experience a defective product injury. This occurs when something goes wrong and unaccounted for during the manufacturing process, leading to the product being assembled or otherwise not working correctly. If an injury occurs after using a product, and the problem can be directly linked to that specific product you personally possess, you could be dealing with a manufacturing defect.
• Inadequate warnings with the product – If a product fails to warn you of potential warnings with correct use of a product, you could be dealing with inadequate warnings. Manufacturers must warn consumers of potential dangers associated with a product, and outline ways to use the product while avoiding these potential hazards. For instance, if a person purchases a curling iron, but fails to disclose a fire warning if the product is left on and near a flammable surface, and that product causes a fire while it’s warming up, you may not have been warned properly.
How Do I Know What Type Of Defective Product Case I’m Working With?
For the consumer, it can sometimes be difficult to tell exactly what type of defective product case you’re working with. If you have an electronics product that catches fire, how does the consumer know if it’s a manufacturing flaw? A design defect? Or if their use may have lead to the fire? In cases such as these, it’s more important than ever to consult the assistance of a personal injury lawyer. Your personal injury lawyer will be able to walk you through your case, and determine just what type of defective product case you’re working with.
If you’ve been injured by a defective product in the state of Florida, you’re certainly not alone. An estimated 29 million individuals are injured by defective products each year, and each of these parties must approach their case the right way if they wish to receive compensation.