Defective Products and General Product Liability
Defective and dangerous products — from faulty auto parts to dangerous medications — result in almost three million injuries and 22,000 deaths annually in the United States.
All manufactured products, such as pharmaceutical drugs, medical products, motor vehicles, industrial equipment, and consumer products, have the potential of being dangerous or defective. And if you’ve suffered harm, you may have the legal right to recover compensation.
Damages that may be recovered in a defective product lawsuit include:
Pain and suffering
Medical expenses
Loss of enjoyment of life
Lost earning or income capacity
Types of Product Liability Claims
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why dangerous products end up on the market. Below are three types of product liability claims:
+ Defective Design
Flaws in the design of a product could be grounds for a product liability claim. Sometimes, manufacturers realize these defects after the product has already entered the marketplace and launch recalls. However, many recalls occur after people have already been injured. And, unfortunately, many dangerous products are never recalled at all.
+ Defective Manufacturing
These types of defects result from mistakes made during the actual production phase and may not involve every item. For example, if a weld on a trailer hitch breaks, causing serious injury to occur, there may be a product liability claim against the hitch manufacturer as a result of the defective manufacture of that particular hitch.
+ Defective Marketing
This occurs when a product maker or supplier doesn’t clearly alert consumers of the potential dangers and risks of their product or doesn’t properly inform and instruct the consumer regarding how to properly and safely use the product.