When you purchase and use a product, you don’t typically worry whether that product will put you in danger. But if that product is defective, it can present an elevated risk of harm. If it eventually fails or malfunctions, you could be severely injured.
But not all product defect cases look the same. There are three different types of defective products that you want to consider, as they can all impact you in a different fashion.
Design Defects
To start with, a product needs to be designed safely. Many hydraulic presses are designed with two-hand controls, for example. Chainsaws are designed with guards that protect the user from the exposed portions of the blade. When products like this are designed poorly, there are ways for people to be injured that could have been avoided. This isn’t to say that there are not inherently dangerous products, and chainsaws and hydraulic presses are two examples, but steps should be taken to reduce this risk.
Manufacturing Defects
Next, even a product that has been designed correctly could be manufactured incorrectly. When you buy that product and it was put together at the factory in advance, was everything done correctly? Were any steps skipped or safety devices left out? It could be that the design for the product should have been safe, but it was assembled incorrectly and was therefore defective.
Labeling Defects
Finally, product labels need to contain all of the necessary safety information. A good example of a defective label would be on an over-the-counter drug. If it instructs people to take twice the safe dose, they may inadvertently overdose. The drug itself would have helped them and it would have been safe if taken properly, but the label created the problem.
If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in one of these situations, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.