Each year countless Americans are injured or killed while using a variety of consumer products they purchase through online retailers or at their local stores. Toys, personal care or home health products, vehicles, furniture, electronics, furniture and household appliances are just some of the many dangerous products that exist on the market. They often don’t get recalled until after they’ve seriously maimed or killed someone.
Identifying what aspect of a product was defective that resulted in a person getting hurt often isn’t easy to do. It instead requires close analysis by a skilled investigator to determine what went wrong.
It’s easiest for a products liability attorney to know what entity along the supply chain to go after once an investigator has determined what caused the product to malfunction. Defects can often be classified into one of three distinct categories. They can be design, manufacturing or advertising/marketing ones.
It may be clear that a design defect has occurred if a product broke apart or didn’t function as promised despite being assembled per the instructions.
If a food item was contaminated while it was being prepared or another item’s parts were fabricated using inferior materials or craftsmanship, then someone may get sick or hurt by that product. A consumer may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the product’s manufacturer if this occurs.
It’s the responsibility of marketers or advertisers to place warnings on products letting them know of how to appropriately use an item and of any risks that it may pose. If either party fails to provide adequate warning of such dangers and someone gets hurt, then it may be possible for a plaintiff to accuse them of negligence.
There are multiple parties involved in taking products from a mere idea to securing space on a store’s shelf for them. This is what makes proving negligence in these types of cases so difficult. A product liability attorney can review the details surrounding your use of an item and help you determine whether your case warrants you filing a lawsuit here in Orlando or elsewhere in Florida.