As a consumer, you rely on manufacturers to ensure that the products they sell you are safe to use. However, there is always a risk that they make a mistake and make a product that was not reasonably fit, suitable, or safe for its intended purpose. This may happen when a manufacturer designs a product in a defective way or fails to provide adequate warnings or instructions, causing them to manufacture products that can injure or sicken the people that use them. Here are seven problems that can potentially lead to defective products that can hurt you or the people you care about:
- Toxic materials
- One of the more common types of defective products are those that are made with toxic materials, such as lead paint or PFAS. These materials can sometimes cause immediate toxic reactions, while others only have negative effects that become apparent after months or years of exposure.
- Fire hazards
- Many defective products are considered dangerous because they pose a high risk of causing fires or burns. These may include items made of unusually flammable materials, or electronics that do not properly disperse heat generated by their use.
- Contamination with chemicals/diseases
- Products can also be defective if they become unintentionally contaminated with dangerous chemicals or diseases during manufacturing. These may include medications that become tainted during manufacturing, or food that becomes infected with bacteria due to not being properly processed or stored.
- Choking hazards
- Products made for young children need to be manufactured to ensure they do not have parts that might accidentally cause them to choke. These may include toys with detachable parts, or blankets with decorations that children might chew on.
- Crushing or entrapment hazards
- Large objects, such as furniture or certain appliances, need to be appropriately balanced and secured to ensure they do not accidentally fall on top of someone. If they are unbalanced or do not attach to the floor or wall properly, they can easily crush people under them, or trap them so they cannot escape.
- Damaged during storage or transport
- Even if a product is manufactured properly, it is still possible for the product to be damaged or contaminated while it’s being stored or transported. These types of defective products can be deceptively dangerous, with even relatively minor damage increasing the risk of a major malfunction.
- Improper labeling or marketing
- These defective products are safe when used as directed, but are labeled or marketed in a way that encourages people to use it in ways that it shouldn’t. For example, a label may fail to list ingredients that people may be allergic to, or a product may be falsely marketed as waterproof when it is not.
Williams Cedar is a law firm dedicated to helping clients with personal injury, environmental law, and civil rights cases. We specialize in assisting clients who have been injured due to exposure to environmental toxins, including veterans and their loved ones. If you need legal assistance due to toxic exposure or other related matters, please give us a call at our New Jersey and Pennsylvania offices at (215) 557-0099, or visit our contact page.