When you buy something, you expect it to work as intended and for it to be safe. After all, these products are supposed to undergo rigorous testing to ensure that consumers aren’t put at unnecessary risk when using them. Yet, all too often, defective and otherwise dangerous products find their way onto store shelves.
A product’s deficiencies could’ve been created at any point along the way, too, including during the product’s design, its manufacturing, its labeling or its marketing. Regardless of where the problem lies, unsuspecting consumers like you are put in harm’s way by these products.
Injuries that may be indicative of a dangerous product
The type of harm that you suffer from a defective product is going to depend on the type of product that you’re using. However, if you’ve suffered any of the following injuries, you might want to more carefully scrutinize your use of certain products to see if you can trace your harm back to them:
- Head injuries: Many brain injuries are caused by accidents while riding a bicycle, scooter, motorcycles, or even something as simple as a skateboard. Even if you’re wearing a helmet at the time of your accident, you can still suffer extensive harm. So, if you’ve been injured in one of these accidents, you might want to analyze the device that you were using to see if a defect caused your accident and your injuries.
- Choking: Toy labels should clearly specify the age group that the toy is meant for and identify whether the toy contains small parts that may pose a choking hazard. If a toy doesn’t and your child ends up choking on a small piece, you may have justification for taking legal action.
- Burns: Electrical devices can be erroneously wired or have defective batteries that can result in overheating and fire. As a result, you or a loved one might end up with significant burns from one of these defective products.
- Broken bones: This is a common injury in defective product cases because they can occur in almost any situation. For example, when a product such as a chair unexpectedly breaks, the resulting fall may lead to fractures. Carefully think about how a broken product may have led to your broken bones.
- Damage to internal organs: Defective drugs hit the market all of the time. When they do and consumers take them, those individuals can suffer extensive internal harm. They might experience kidney or liver damage, or they could even be subjected to something like heart attack or stroke. Organ failure is a possibility, too.
You might suffer other types of harm, so don’t discount your injuries if they don’t fall into the categories mentioned above. What’s important is that you remain cognizant of the role that a product may have played in your injuries. If you suspect that you were harmed by a product, you should carefully analyze it and its labeling to see if you can identify any deficiencies that may have put you at risk of harm.
Find accountability for your injuries
You shouldn’t be left to figure out how to deal with your defective product injuries on your own. After all, your need for medical care can be extensive and costly. That’s why you might want to think about taking legal action against those responsible for your harm. This will probably include the company that designed the product, but it may also include those responsible for its manufacturing and marketing.
Pursuing a products liability case can be tricky. There are often a lot of moving parts, and a misstep at any point along the way could jeopardize your claim. That’s why you should make sure that you fully prepare your claim before proceeding. Hopefully then you can obtain an outcome that’s fair and just.
