Say what you will about the number of lawsuits filed in California, but the truth is that lawsuits are one important reason why many manufacturers have put more effort into making the products that we use in our everyday lives safer. But with so many products on the market, all too often consumers are still injured by dangerous products.
Many unsafe products make it onto the market and into consumers’ homes, only to cause serious and even fatal injuries. Sometimes manufacturers and sellers don’t do enough to ensure safety because they don’t want to cut into profits or delay sale of the product.
Product recalls are an unavoidable part of our consumer-oriented world. The widespread Toyota recalls over vehicle acceleration and other safety issues probably come to mind. Mariko Sanchanta and Yoshio Takahashi of The Wall Street Journal report that over the next year, the financial hit to the carmaker because of these recalls could potentially total over $5 billion.
Injuries have been caused by dangers and defects found in a wide range of products, including:
● Household products and appliances
● Electronics
● Medical products
● Prescription drugs
● Foods
● Toys
● Cribs and other children’s products
● Vehicles
● Tires
What makes a product defective?
Your right to sue manufacturers and sellers for your injuries caused by a faulty product comes from “products liability” laws.
These laws identify three basic types of defects:
1. Manufacturing defect – The product is dangerous because of a mistake in how the product was made or assembled.
2. Design defect – Even if the product is put together properly, the product is dangerous because of the risks created by its design.
3. Marketing defect – You weren’t given proper warnings about the product’s risks or the product’s label was misleading. The product could also be defective because you weren’t given proper instructions on how to safely use the product.
If a manufacturer should know that a product could be used in a wrong way, then its design or warning has to address the possible misuse to reduce the chance you’ll be harmed.
What you can do if a defective product seriously injures you
The injuries caused by a defective product can be serious and even life changing, but the maker and seller of the unsafe product could potentially be held responsible. In these situations, San Diego Law Firm can seek financial compensation for injury to yourself or a loved one. Start your case as soon as possible, because the law limits how much time you have to start a lawsuit. Find out how we can help by contacting San Diego Law Firm’s experienced and dedicated products liability lawyers at (619) 794-0243.
