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Defective Products
We don’t expect products we use and consume to fail, and certainly not to harm or injure us. Manufacturers of consumer and other products the public uses have an obligation to ensure that their products are safe. Others responsible for introducing products to the general market, such as distributors and retailers, may also be held liable for products that cause injuries. Yet every year, hundreds of defective and injurious products are recalled.
Recently, defective and tainted products from China have drawn widespread media attention. Pet food, tires, toothpaste, fresh ginger, fish, and toys are among Chinese products that have already been recalled. But the problem of defective products is far from limited to Chinese imports. Defective toys, for one, have been an ongoing concern of consumer safety advocates since long before the recent scare from Mattel toys made in China.
Defective toys
Over 200,000 children are hurt by toys in the United States each year. And according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 20 toy-related deaths of children under 15 in 2005. Among the leading causes of death among children is (a) choking, mostly on tiny toy parts, balloons, and small balls, and (b) entanglement, a risk to smaller children.
While some toys are dangerous in-and-of themselves, sometimes their danger is from a lack of adequate warning labels. But despite well-publicized consumer alerts with regard to the perils of children’s potential for choking, these types of injuries continue to occur at an alarming rate.
Recalled products
In addition to toys, there is a wide-ranging list of defective products that are recalled or cause injuries each year. A few defective products that have continued to draw scrutiny in recent years include:
- Automobiles
- Bicycles
- Machinery
- Firearms
- Lawn mowers
- ATVs
- Water heaters
Two types of product defect
In addition to misuse due to a failure to warn, there are two basic kinds of product defect.
- Design defects – a faulty engineering process is used to design, or is part of the design of a product, making it unnecessarily dangerous.
- A manufacturing defect – the product is not made as designed.
A product liability attorney must be able to identify the type of defect or failure to warn that caused the harm. He or she must also be well grounded in the area of product liability law. If a product defect was the direct (proximate) cause of an injury or harm inflicted on you or a loved one, you may be entitled to damages.
Our defective product attorneys at the Law Firm of McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates have been representing the residents of South Carolina for many years and having astonishing success at winning compensation for them. Please contact us to set up a free consultation. We can assess your situation and begin collecting information to build your case.
Free Case Evaluation
Our South Carolina medical malpractice attorneys will evaluate your case at no cost or obligation to you. You should know that there are strict deadlines that apply to how long you have to pursue a claim.
If you believe you may have a claim, you should have it evaluated by our medical malpractice team right away. Click here for a free case evaluation>>>