When consumers purchase a product, it goes without saying that they expect the product to be safe. Unfortunately, people are injured every day by food, electronics, cosmetics, automobiles, and more. Not only should consumers expect a good, safe product, but they are also entitled to be paid money damages when things go wrong. There are three categories of product defects to consider, so read on for information about each.
What do you expect?
When you buy something you may not consciously consider what you are expecting from the product but expectations are almost always lurking in the back of your mind. One reason that you don't consciously consider the potential for something to go wrong is that things so seldom do. Manufacturers are held to very high standards and that has resulted in the vast majority of products sold today being free of defects that could cause harm. Product defects are usually unexpected when they do happen and becoming the victim of a bad product can mean shock, injury, misery, pain and suffering and more. If you've been negatively affected by a bad product then you have the right to be paid for each and every way your life has been affected by it.
Three types of product defects
1. Design defects: Often the problem with a product goes all the way back to the beginning when the product was first imagined. To cite a recent example, the Japanese manufacturer of airbags Takata has been in the news for the past few years due to an apparent design defect. Airbags are important safety features meant to cushion the blow of a car crash, but these airbags contain mental fragments that can cause harm and even death. The fact that these airbags have been recalled does not negate the harm already caused by the design defect.
2. Manufacturing defects: This form of defect is easily confused with a design defect but there is an important distinction. Design defects are built into the product and the resulting product might affect great numbers of consumers. A manufacturing defect, on the other hand, might only affect a limited number of people. Often the products that fit this category are the result of a malfunction of equipment or quality control. This means the problem is often caught and fixed before it can affect more people.
3. Marketing defects: This type of defect is all about the warnings provided to the consumer. Products often come with directions and instructions but this issue goes beyond that and into the advertising of those products. Most everyone has listened to the list of side effects provided when a medication advertisement appears and this is just one example of manufacturers who are using advertising in an effort to prevent consumers from filing a claim against them. They are warning you right along with the advertisement in an effort to reduce their product liability. If they fail to properly warn you, they are setting themselves up for a lawsuit.
No matter how it happened, you may be entitled to compensation if you've experienced an injury due to a product. Speak to a professional like Jack W Hanemann, P.S. to have your case evaluated as soon as possible.
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