Although the United States has various laws in place to protect consumers, on occasion an error may cause a hazardous product out on the market, jeopardizing the health and well-being of customers. This may occur from an oversight during the design process, inferior or flawed parts, or in factories where food is being produced, the element of a hazardous disease or tarnished food.
While one may think that only the producer or manufacturer of the product is responsible for such oversights or errors, fault may be placed on a few different parties including not only the manufacturer, but also the manufacturer of parts, wholesalers and even the retail store that provided the products to the consumer. It is important to note that this chain applies to the ordinary course of the supplier’s business. This means that a retailer, such as someone who resells a product online or at a garage sale, likely is not responsible for the quality of the product.
There are generally three types of product defects. Marketing defects such as labeling that provides false or incorrect information about the product. An example could be a liquor that has a higher alcohol level than stated on the label. Design defects could include a child car seat that fails to do its intended purpose, thus putting the customer at risk. Manufacturing defects involve products that are affected during production. This could include food that is exposed to dangerous or deadly disease or bacteria such as salmonella.
Dangerous products affect thousands of Americans each year. If you believe that you or someone you love has been injured or became ill due to a defective or dangerous product, you may want to speak with a product liability law firm to see if you could be entitled to compensation for your condition.
Source: FindLaw, “What is Product Liability?” Accessed May 29, 2017