Accidents and injuries that arise from a product’s malfunction can range in seriousness from minor wounds, to catastrophic injuries that leave individuals permanently disabled, or even wrongful death. You might find yourself thinking that something like that will never happen to you and hopefully that’s true, but the fact is that products do malfunction and people do get hurt.
In fact, the federal government, through the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, has set up a webpage with the specific purpose of notifying individuals about unsafe products that have been or currently are available on the market. The CPSC also provides detailed injury statistics regarding the estimated number of injuries that result from a variety of different product industries. Check it out, the numbers might surprise you.
It is true that product defects don’t always lead to traumatic or debilitating injuries, but if it did happen to you, would you know what to do? Would you know how to help a friend or relative if they were injured in such a way?
Below are some tips to keep in mind when you’re faced with an injury resulting from a product malfunction:
- Seek appropriate medical attention
- Save all instructions and warning labels – ideally, before using the product you would have read and followed these; following an accident it’s important to review that the incident was not accounted for in these materials.
- Document both the malfunction and your injuries – make a note of dates and times of occurrence, save all medical records related to the injury, and if possible take pictures with your mobile device.
- Save the faulty device – for many people, the initial impulse to get rid of the injurious device is strong, but keeping it and all of its parts together in a safe place will permit examination and determination of manufacturer’s fault at a later date by the proper authorities.
- Seek experienced legal representation immediately.
Experienced product liability attorneys, like those at Cutt, Kendell & Olson, have been through this process many times and know how to handle the complex intricacies of cases of this type. They know how important physical, mental, and emotional treatment is for those that suffer from severe and catastrophic injuries. They also know how complex and confusing the process can be for those trying to handle it all on their own. Finally, the attorneys at Cutt, Kendell & Olson also have extensive experience handling the legal issues associated with product liability cases. This is important because, without representation of this type, it will be difficult if not impossible to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.