Household Products
You may take it for granted that the household items that you use are safe. But sometimes a product you thought would never hurt you turns out to be defective, and you, or someone you care about, end up being injured.
Defective household products can result in serious injuries, or even death. Defective household products that injure consumers may result in a product liability claim. Product liability refers to the liability of a manufacturer, distributor, or other party in the chain of distribution for injuries or damages caused by a defective product.
Some of the most common types of defective household items include:
- Defective Electrical Appliances (hotplates, microwaves, toasters, coffee makers, lamps, dishwashers, heaters)
- Defective Furniture (baby cribs, bookshelves, beds, dressers)
- Defective Personal Grooming Items (hairdryers, curling irons, electric shavers)
Defective household products can be voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer or can be subject to a recall by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Recent product recalls announced by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission included a recall of over half a million TV/VCR carts made by Sauder Woodworking Company. These TV/VCR carts tipped over easily and resulted in a death after the cart and television fell onto an infant.
Other defective household products that were recently recalled include the recall of 13,000 window air conditioners with electric heat manufactured by Fedders Corporation. These air conditioners were recalled because the units presented a fire hazard. Lakewood Engineering Manufacturing Company voluntarily recalled 150,000 sensational electric heaters when it was determined that the electrical connections inside the heater could become loose, resulting in the metal portion becoming energized and proving a serious shock hazard to consumers.
It is the responsibility of manufacturers and suppliers to protect and warn the user of their product against injuries. Defective household products that pose the risk of injury or death can results in liability to the manufacturers, distributors, and sellers who are responsible for the safety of their products and for warning consumers of any dangers associated with their products. Manufacturers, distributors, and sellers can be held responsible for defective products as a result of a defect in design, defectively manufactured products, products that do not have complete or correct instructions, or for failure to warn or a failure to live up to a warranty.
Robert D. Erney is experienced in bringing clams against manufacturers of household products and will work hard to represent you fairly and honestly.
