Thousands of individuals visit the emergency room each year because of defective and dangerous products. In many cases, through no fault of their own, the product injured them without them misusing the item. Yet, not surprisingly, the companies that manufacture defective products will rarely admit to it.
You must hire an experienced and qualified product liability lawyer to help. Of course, when using some household items or consumer products, safety should be a priority. Unfortunately, some goods are at the forefront of injury claims and lawsuits, no matter how well or carefully we use them. So, let’s look at the most common products that injure people.
#1: Motor Vehicles
Automakers have installed a lot of sophisticated technologies in the cars of today. But unfortunately, when the technology goes haywire, people die or suffer severe injuries. Just think about it: the average car today has over 30,000 components, and every component must do its job properly or risk malfunctions that can injure or kill.
In 2020 alone, automakers made over 786 recalls, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In other words, no matter how safely we drive or follow traffic laws, our cars can get us injured or hurt others just by running in the streets. In recent years, car manufacturers have recalled vehicles for ignition, brakes, airbags, tires, seats, etc.
#2: Power Tools
You can imagine that when power tools work wrong or start acting weird, the severe consequences can leave you devastated. Despite being in a dangerous niche, manufacturers still have a responsibility to provide power tools free from faulty designs or components. When a power tool fails, the consequences lead to serious injury or death.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t speak about the common injuries from power tools but about defective or poorly designed products that hurt you no matter how many precautions you took.
#3: Baby and Children’s Toys
Baby and children’s toys are another common consumer product category to cause serious injury. The most common toys and baby products to watch out for include baby strollers, cribs, bassinets, and car seats. We often expect safety with these products, but manufacturers often cut corners on testing, which leads to injuries.
The product should have proper warning labels. When it doesn’t, you have a right to compensation. According to Yosha Lawyers, no matter what injured you or a loved one, you need to seek legal help and see that you don’t get taken advantage of by a manufacturer or a store’s insurance company, or their legal department.
Things look a bit grim when it comes to dangerous children’s toys and products: in 2020, the CPSC issued 256 recalls, including plush toys, furniture items, water bottles, etc.
#4: Knives, Firearms, and Weapons
You need to exercise caution with knives, firearms, and other weapons because manufacturers understand that they make dangerous products and warn us accordingly. For that reason, they often put in legal red tape when people suffer injuries, but they can’t do much about it.
An example of this is someone who fires a handgun without safety glasses. The bullet casing flies back and hits them in the eye, causing blindness. Unfortunately, they can’t take legal action against the company because of the legal red tape.
On the other hand, we all suffered some cuts when using kitchen knives. Do we all sue the kitchen knife manufacturer because we got injured while chopping food? No. However, we could sue the manufacturer if we used the knife safely and correctly, but the injury was caused by the product’s defect or poor design. You might have a legal case if the knife had a split or craked handle, poorly designed blade, etc.
The bottom line is that you need to read all the warnings about these products ahead of time to ensure that you don’t misuse them. Also, watch out for product recalls. Finally, just because a knife is supposed to cut, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be safe to use.
#5: Pharmaceutical Products and Medications
Defective drugs and those without the proper warning labels usually face lawsuits when they cause serious injuries, life-threatening side effects, or death. However, you can also hold those within the supply chain liable, besides the drug manufacturer. For example, you can file a claim against a doctor who knew about some dangerous side effects but failed to warn you because they were interested in selling more.
Drugs and pharmaceuticals often face litigation because they ruin peoples’ live on a large scale. For this reason, most pharmaceutical claims become class-action lawsuits with hundreds and thousands of plaintiffs.
#6: Medical Devices
Medical devices are another field where, when things go wrong, people suffer severe injuries or even death. A lawsuit related to these devices will fall under product liability since the manufacturer was responsible for providing a safe item. Liability for these usually falls under three categories:
- Defectively manufactured devices
- Defectively marketed medical devices
- Medical devices with a defective design
Conclusion
This article gave examples of the most common product categories that often lead to product liability claims because people suffered injuries. You must act quickly after an injury since the statute of limitations only allows a small window of opportunity to file a claim. Failure to file within that time frame will forfeit your rights.
Hiring the right lawyer will make a difference since they will navigate the product liability laws with expertise to make the justice system work in your favor.
Author Bio：
Michael Hawkins
When it comes to educating the public on legal matters, few people are as determined as Michael Hawkins. From discovering issues of interest that concern all of us to offering actionable articles and guides to those in need, Michael is relentless in his journey of helping people make sense of the legal system. With dozens of pieces published in magazines, news outlets, and online journals, Michael is here to translate legalese into plain English so you can understand your rights and make the system work in your benefit.