When you buy a product, you expect it to work. You also have every right to expect it to be safe. But too often consumers get hurt while going about their lives and using everyday products as advertised. It’s terrifying when it happens, and, unfortunately, it can be expensive and time-consuming too.
Here are some of the most common injuries that defective products can cause.
Choking
Choking hazards weigh on parents’ and caregivers’ minds more than anyone else. Small children will put nearly anything in their mouth which means the adults in their lives have to be vigilant. But when you buy a toy made for a young child, you expect it to be age-appropriate. This means it shouldn’t have small parts or pieces that can break off and choke your child. But choking hazards due to a defect are a very real threat for many children.
Burns and Shock
With the number of electrical items we use at home and at work every day, fires and electric shock are more common than you may realize. From faulty wiring, low-quality material, and lack of proper instructions, you can be shocked or burned when something goes wrong. Simply plugging in an item or turning it on can lead to a fire and then to severe injuries.
Poor Health
When you take prescription medications, you expect them to make you better — not worse. Most of us have heard the pharmaceutical commercials with the list of side effects that last longer than the ad. But sometimes you’re not properly warned about the harmful effect of the drug you’re taking. Patients have been diagnosed with heart, kidney, or liver failure while others suffered from unknown complications or even death — all because they took a medication that didn’t warn them of the dangers.
Broken Bones and Fractures
When a product stops working or breaks while you’re using it, you can experience severe injuries like broken bones and fractures. A ladder that’s supposed to hold up to 300 pounds may break with a 200-pound person on it. Trampolines made from shoddy material can fall apart while someone jumps on it. A deck made with poor quality material could collapse as you walk over it. Load-bearing products that don’t hold up during their intended use can lead to severe injuries.
Head Injuries
The most common culprit of a head injury is a faulty helmet, but falling off or down from products like ladders can also lead to this kind of injury. We protect our children with helmets, expecting them to be kept safe while they’re biking, skateboarding, and spending time outside. Injuries to the head can be the most severe and cause permanent injury. It’s unacceptable that something we count on to keep us safe could be the reason we become permanently disabled.
Injuries from Auto Accidents
Automobiles are one of the most recalled products due to defects. Every year more manufacturers have to issue recalls to fix what might sound like minor problems. But those small issues can lead to big accidents and severe injuries. In an auto accident, anything can happen — spinal injuries, broken limbs, head injuries, internal injuries. While automobile manufacturers might point out that they fix these recalls at no charge, that’s no excuse for continually making and selling vehicles that need to be recalled in the first place.
Death
From fires to head injuries to auto accidents, death is a very real threat when you’re dealing with a defective product. Some families don’t even realize a shoddy product was the cause of their loved one’s death until much later. No one should have to take their life into their hands because they plugged in an appliance or rode a bicycle. While death is rarer than injuries that will heal, it’s still a possibility when using unsafe products.
Conclusion
As a consumer, you should expect that any product you buy and use will be safe — as long as you use it the way it’s intended. You should also expect the manufacturer to take safety seriously and design their products carefully. Unfortunately, it’s too common for companies to care more about their bottom line than the customer they serve. When you’re injured because of a defective product, work with a personal injury attorney who will fight for you. Contact Ed Bernstein and Associates or call us today!