You expect the products that you buy to be safe. After all, they usually go through an extensive research, development, and testing process before hitting the market. Yet, all too often dangerous products find their way onto store shelves, putting you and your loved ones at risk.
In the tragic event that you or a loved one is injured by one of these defective products, you should be prepared to take legal action to find accountability and recover the compensation that you need and deserve. However, even in the most straightforward cases, evidentiary issues can arise that jeopardize your claim.
Common mistakes in product liability lawsuits
You don’t want to be your own worst enemy when it comes to pursuing a product liability case. Therefore, as you step into the legal arena, you’ll want to be sure to avoid making these mistakes:
- Delaying medical care, as doing so will make it harder for you to draw a link between your medical condition and your use of a defective product.
- Using the product in a way that strays from its intended use, which could be a death knell for your claim.
- Modifying the product in some fashion, which will make it all too easy for the defense to argue that you’re responsible for your own injuries.
- Posting about the event on social media, which puts you at risk of having your own words used against you.
- Not documenting all of your damages, thereby putting a full recovery at risk.
- Disposing of the defective product before your claim is resolved, which disallows you from presenting the most powerful piece of evidence in your case.
Build the strong product liability claim you need
Your product liability lawsuit is a vehicle to find accountability, deter ongoing bad acts, and recover the compensation you need to secure financial stability while you focus on your recovery. With so much on the line, you can’t jeopardize your own case.
So, before proceeding with your claim, it’s a good idea to sit down and analyze your circumstances so that you can minimize any case weaknesses and consciously move forward without making costly mistakes. Hopefully then you can secure the outcome that you want and put this dark chapter of your life behind you.