Most of us expect the products that we buy to serve us well, and to improve our lives in some way. Indeed, we purchase items for convenience, because they bring us joy, or because they provide some service or benefit. Which is why it can be so shocking when injuries due to defective household appliances and products happen. If you have been harmed by a defective product, our Massachusetts products liability lawyer at the office of Tetzel Law can help.
Common Types of Defective Household Products and Injuries
There is really no limit to the types of household products that could be potentially defective. Some common types of defective household products include:
- Furniture, including furniture that is at risk of tipping over if not anchored
- Electronics
- Kitchen appliances
- Clothing
- Cleaning products
- Baby furniture, including children’s cribs
- Toys
- Heating equipment, such as space heaters
- Appliances
- More
Similar to the range of potentially defective products, the list of potential injuries is also long. Defective household products could cause fires and burn injuries, suffocation injuries, electrocution, crush injuries, falls, toxic chemical exposure, puncture wounds, and more.
Manufacturer Responsibility for Defective Products
When a product causes a consumer harm, a consumer can bring forth a claim for damages against the product manufacturer. Most products liability claims are based on the theory of strict liability, which means that the plaintiff does not need to prove the manufacturer’s negligence in order to recover compensation. There are three types of product defects:
- Design defects, which means that the product was defectively designed to inherently be unsafe
- Manufacturing defects, which means that something happened during the manufacturing process to render the product defective
- Warning label/labeling defects, which means that proper instructions or/and risks/side effects of the product were not listed, rendering it unsafe
If you can prove the elements of a defective products action, you can recover compensation for the full value of your economic and noneconomic losses.
What You Need to Prove in a Defective Products Action
As mentioned above, most products liability actions are based on the theory of strict liability. Rather than proving the manufacturer’s negligence, you’ll need to prove:
- The product was defective—you must prove that there was a design, manufacturing, or labeling defect
- You were using the product as intended at the time you were harmed
- The product defect was the proximate cause of your injuries
- You have suffered actual damages as a result
In some cases, it is possible to bring forth a claim based on the theory of negligence or breach of warranty. Talk to your attorney about what makes the most sense for your case.
Call Our Massachusetts Defective Products Attorney Today
If you have been injured by a defective product, you need a Massachusetts personal injury attorney on your side. At the office of Tetzel Law, Attorney Paul Tetzel has experience working on products liability claims and can provide you with the legal support you’re looking for. For your free consultation, please call (617) 742-1700 directly or use our website to send us a message telling us more about your case. We work on a contingency fee basis.