Consumer Products That Cause Injuries in Columbia
You may be surprised to learn that even the most commonplace and seemingly safe products can potentially cause injury due to defects, malfunctions, or other risk factors. For example, if the toothbrush in your bathroom was negligently manufactured, it is possible that it could splinter during use and cause lacerations in your mouth, or worse. Similarly, a piece of furniture could be designed in such a way that it is possible for it to topple over onto people without warning.
The experienced attorneys of the Joye Law Firm regularly represent people injured by a variety of consumer products, including the following:
- Cars and trucks;
- Space heaters;
- Kitchen appliances;
- Products designed for infants;
- Toys;
- Electronics;
- Home furnishings;
- Sports equipment;
- Medical devices;
- Firearms and other weapons;
- Personal hygiene products;
Consumer Products Can Be Defective In Different Ways
There are three generally recognized categories of defects that products liability cases fall into – design defects, manufacturing defects, and marketing defects, which are discussed in further detail below.
- Design Defects – Cases involving design defects allege that the product is unreasonably dangerous due to some inherent design flaw. In these cases, the defect will generally affect every instance of a particular product, rather than a particular batch or model. Examples of design defects include vehicles that are inherently unstable and prone to rollover accidents or a flat-screen television that could tip over due to an unbalanced design.
- Manufacturing Defects – Manufacturing defects, on the other hand, involve issues with the way a product was made. These defects could be due to shoddy workmanship, errors in the manufacturing process, or the use of substandard materials. Examples of manufacturing defects could include brake pads made with the wrong material or electrical cords that lack adequate insulation.
- Marketing Defects – Cases involving marketing defects are also commonly referred to as “failure to warn” cases. They arise when a manufacturer would have been able to mitigate a non-obvious danger posed by a product by giving the consumer a simple warning. For example, if a space heater is known to pose a significant fire risk due to its operating temperature, the manufacturer should provide a warning to not place the device too close to furniture, drapes, or other flammable material.
The information and examples above are intended to give a broad overview of the many different types of defective product cases. Whether a manufacturer will be held liable in your case depends on a variety of factors, so it is important to have your case reviewed by an experienced attorney before attempting to initiate any legal action
