Wednesday, March 21, 2018

6 Common Defective Product Types to Look Out For




When you buy a product – from a new car to a cup of coffee – you have certain expectations of how it should work. When it doesn’t, a defective product can sometimes cause serious injury to you or a loved one. Product defect cases can involve anything a consumer buys, but some kinds of lawsuits happen more often than others. Here are 6 common defective products to keep your eye out for.

1.      Vehicle Defects

From airbags to on-board computers, vehicles have millions of moving parts. When any one of them fail, it can lead to a recall or product defect lawsuit. All the regulations that control the auto industry can give consumers ways to sue when a defective product causes serious injury. 

2.      Toys and Children’s Products

There is a certain expectation that adults can protect themselves from certain risks – like choking hazards. But young children are not as able to identify dangers or protect themselves from small defects. When small parts break off or make a product dangerous for children below a certain age, it can create a marketing defect claim against the toy manufacturer or distributor. 

3.      Household Appliances

Toasters, coffee machines, and other household appliances are part of consumers everyday lives. They rely on these machines to streamline their day and make life easier. But when they break, they can cause substantial harm resulting in a manufacturing defect case against the appliance company.

4.      Cleaning Products

Everyday consumers know that chemicals can be dangerous. But if a cleaning product isn’t labelled properly, you may not know to take certain precautions, like using gloves or avoiding inhaling the fumes. In other cases, design choices designed to make cleaning products more appealing – like colorful Tide pods – create risks that children could mistake them for candy. Cleaning materials are common defective products that can cause serious harm and result in substantial recoveries.

5.      Spoiled Food and Defective Packaging

Most food goes bad eventually. But just like with cleaning products, consumers are entitled to know what to expect when they open a can or bottle. When food is made poorly, packaged incorrectly, or contaminated, it can cause serious illness and injury. Problems with the food or its packaging can result in manufacturing defect claims and lawsuits against the distributors and retailers who sell the products. 

6.      Industrial Machinery and Equipment

There’s nothing about product defect law that limits claims to the home. When you work on the line or in a factory, defects in the industrial machinery and equipment can cause catastrophic, career-ending injuries. Large manufacturing devices must be properly manufactured, installed, and maintained to ensure workplace safety. When any step in this process falls short, a product defect lawsuit can be part of the remedy. 

Any consumer product can be defective in its manufacture, design, or marketing. Whether you are injured by a common defective product type or a one-in-a-million chance, an experienced product liability attorney can help you investigate the problem and get compensated for your injuries.

Dani K. Liblang is a product liability attorney at The Liblang Law Firm, P.C., in Birmingham, Michigan. If you have been injured by a defective product, contact The Liblang Law Firm, P.C., today for a free consultation.

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