When we go to a store and purchase a product there is a certain expectation of safety that comes along with using the product we’ve purchased. Whether it’s tools, cosmetics, children’s toys, appliances, electronics, or any sort of product, we expect to be able to use the product as intended without experiencing
injury or illness. Unfortunately mistakes do slip through, and defective products injure millions in the United States each and every year.
Defective Product Statistics
To see the serious and common problems that defective products cause in Florida and the United States as a whole, one simply needs to take a look at the statistics. The cost of defective product injuries amounts to billions each year in the United States, and every year an estimated 75,000 children aged 5 or younger are treated in emergency rooms for injuries sustained due to defective products. Raise that age to 15, and approximately 275,000 children are hospitalized and treated each year due to defective toys alone. Opening up to all age groups, more than 3 million individuals are injured, 22,000 fatally, in defective product injury cases yearly in the United States.
What Products Are Most Often Found Defective?
Finding a defective product causing injury in the apparel category is relatively rare but move over to appliances and you’re going to be upping your risk.
The product categories with the most defective products on average are: • Health products – From massagers to medical devices, health products are one of the top categories when it comes to defective products. For instance, a scalp stimulating product could inadvertently cause hair loss, and if this side effect isn’t noted and the consumer made aware, they could have a defective product case on their hands.
• Chemicals – Chemical products need to be clearly marked with warning labels and instructions for proper use. Even those that are, may wind up having harmful or dangerous side effects years down the line. A notable example is RoundUp Ready, a weed killing landscaping product found to cause deadly cancers like non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, brain cancer, and Leukemia even used properly according to all warnings and directions.
• Industrial or construction equipment – Industrial or construction equipment is used to carry out important and often dangerous jobs, so these products need to be safe and effective to ensure optimal confidence. All too often, however, these products can be defective which may lead to serious injury or death even when using the product as intended. Examples of this would be a ladder that is prone to collapse or a saw with a guard known to fail during use.
• Appliances – You may not realize just how heavily you rely on the appliances you use each day unless you consciously think about them. Whether it’s a toaster, a microwave, a food processor, or any other appliance, these products should remain quietly appreciated, not feared. Appliances have one of the higher rates of defective product cases and these may lead to serious injury.
What To Do When You’re Up Against A Defective Product Case
Defective product cases can be both tricky and catastrophic. Leading to serious injuries and emergency room visits, defective products of any kind can leave individuals wondering what they can possibly do to recoup their loss. The first thing you should do if you find yourself in a defective product injury situation is make a call to an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney in the St. Pete’s area. If you’ve been injured by a defective product, contact us at TheStPeteLawyer.com today to get the representation you need.
