When you think of a legal claim for personal injury, you likely first think to a car accident or a slip and fall in a store. While these are common claims, personal Injuries can happen in many different ways and many can occur right in your own home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that thousands of people are injured each year in the United States due to defective or dangerous products, many of which you may have in your own household. The following are some common household products that can malfunction and cause injuries.
Appliances — Stoves, microwaves, blenders, washing machines, dryers, grills, power tools, vacuums, and more can cause burns, cuts, and other serious injuries.
Child and infant products — Products like strollers, cribs, and changing tables can malfunction and cause a child to fall to the floor and sustain injuries. Additionally, toys can cause choking, suffocation, and other potentially fatal injuries.
Furniture — Chairs, shelves, beds, sofas, and tables can all malfunction and fall apart, causing people to fall or objects to fall on top of people in your home.
Electronics — Our homes are filled with electronics from laptops and tablets to flat screen TVs and gaming systems. These electronics can overheat or even catch on fire and cause burns, and many flat screen TVs have been known to fall over on top of small children.
Recreational equipment — Sporting equipment can easily cause injuries if it malfunctions, as can bicycles, ATVs, and other recreational vehicles. The newest trend in household recreation–“hoverboards”–have caught fire and caused many different burn injuries.
Holding Companies Liable For Product-Related Injuries
When a household product is determined to potentially be defective or dangerous for its intended use, the manufacturer is supposed to notify the CPSC and issue a recall in a timely manner to avoid further injuries. However, many injuries may occur prior to a recall or because a consumer did not know about a recall. If injuries happen to you or your child because of a household product, you may have the legal right to seek compensation from the manufacturer and/or distributor of the product for your medical bills and other related losses.
A products liability attorney can help you prove that a company was negligent in designing, assembling, or marketing a defective or dangerous household product so that you can recover for your losses. Negotiating with the insurance companies of large corporations or going up against these companies in court can be intimidating, however, so you want to make sure you have a highly experienced lawyer on your side who has the resources and skill to go up against such adversaries.
Consult With A Boca Raton Products Liability Attorney As Soon As Possible
At the law firm of Lavalle, Brown & Ronan in Boca Raton, our attorneys have extensive experience handling products liability claims and successfully obtaining compensation for injured individuals from large companies. If you have sustained any type of injury due to a defective or dangerous product, please discuss your situation with one of our Boca Raton products liability lawyers today. Call for a free consultation at 888-646-1315.