What Types of Manufacturing Defects Injure People?
The truth is that any manufacturing defect could cause harm to an unsuspecting consumer. This is true for everything from a child’s toy to a piece of heavy machinery. Product liability actions have arisen from injuries and deaths caused by window coverings, home exercise equipment, toys, electronics, appliances, tires, vehicle ignition switches, power tools, ladders, construction equipment, safety gear, sports equipment, e-cigarettes, and countless other products that we use at home and at work. When people are using these products as directed and they’re injured, they may have grounds for legal action.
Do Manufacturing Defects Affect a Single Product or an Entire Line?
Because manufacturing defects occur during the production of a product, they may affect a single item or an entire line or series of items. It will all depend on how the defect occurred and at what point during the manufacturing process. With manufacturing defects, the design of the product may be safe and appropriate, but the product itself is ineffective or dangerous because an error was made during its manufacture.
The following are examples of manufacturing defects:
- Improperly installing electrical wiring or other electric components
- Leaving sharp edges when excess plastic is trimmed from a manufacturing mold
- Using an inferior material to build part of a product
- Attaching the parts of a product together incorrectly
- Installing the wrong components of a product
- Using the wrong type of fastener on a product’s moving parts
In the examples above, using an inferior material would most likely affect an entire series or line of items. Leaving a sharp edge could affect just one or several items. It will be important to investigate the cause of the defect to determine whether numerous products were affected.
How Do I Know if I Have a Lawsuit Based on a Manufacturing Defect?
If you were using a product as directed and were injured because it broke or failed in some way, you may have grounds for a lawsuit due to a manufacturing defect. Because each case is different, however, you should involve a lawyer who can advise you and protect your interests moving forward. You could be one of many people who have been harmed by the same product because of a defect in the production process. Or, you could be the only person who’s experienced this. Either way, a competent lawyer can get you on the road to recovery by getting the answers and compensation you need.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the governmental agency that is responsible for recalling defective products. The commission will announce product recalls so that the general public can be warned of them. Recalled products should immediately stop being used so as to avoid injury. The CPSC will have instructions for what consumers should do if they find out they have a defective product in their possession. Anyone can report an unsafe product to the CPSC for investigation. If you or someone you know was injured by a product, even though it was being used properly, then you can file a report. Typically, if there are multiple similar reports, then a product or a certain batch of products will be recalled. Products that have been distorted by manufacturing defects typically get recalled in batches, since only some products were likely affected. Not all claims are investigated by the CPSC, and only some claims will be sent to the product manufacturer for review.
Intended Use of a Product
An important factor to consider before filing a product liability claim is whether or not the product was being used as it was intended to be used. Those who improperly use a product and are injured as a result will not be entitled to a claim, because the injury would have been their fault. You may also not be entitled to a product liability claim if the product was recalled and you continued to use it after it was recalled. This makes it extremely important to keep track of recent recalls, which you can do on the CPSC website. Buying products second hand, such as from thrift stores and yard sales, can be dangerous because they are not prone to the same regulations as retail stores. Provided that you purchased a product first-hand and used it as intended, if you were injured, then you may have a case on your hands.
To learn more about your legal options, contact Arnold & Itkin today: (888) 493-1629.
