THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INJURED OR KILLED EVERY YEAR DUE TO LARGE COMPANIES PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO PROFITS AND LESS ATTENTION TO CONSUMER SAFETY

Companies that manufacture and sell products are well aware of their responsibility to deliver merchandise that is safe for the consumer to purchase and use. Unfortunately, there are some corporations that will pay less attention to these safety restrictions and put more focus on how to increase profit.

THEY DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO

Successful new products are usually the combination of great idea, design and manufacturing. Companies understand that good attention to detail and effort when creating a new product can result in an item that will be in high demand for years to come. Unfortunately, this level of success can tempt companies to cut corners in several ways as they attempt to maximize profits.

• Using cheaper parts: It may be the small metal lid in a child’s baking oven that (unlike last year’s model) does not shut close each time it is used. It may be a cellphone or laptop battery overheating to the point of burning or even exploding on a consumer. There is a risk involved when changing the quality and part of an item for something cheaper.
• Oversees manufacturing: American manufacturers must live up to the safety standards of agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Oversees manufacturers do not have to go by these same strict standards. Studies show that an average of three out of every four products recalled by the CPSC is manufactured outside of the United States. The FDA has also turned away several items that were found to be tainted or even poisonous in some cases.

CUTTING CORNERS CAN OFTEN LEAD TO A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT

When a consumer purchases an item, they assume the product is safe and will do what it is supposed to do. Unfortunately, there are several examples that show this is not always the case.

Common examples of defective products include:

• Easy-Bake ovens that have burned the fingers of children
• Computer batteries that overheat
• Cellphones that overheat and cause serious injury
• Chinese drywall
• Toyota recalls
• Defective power tools that cut
• Defective child car seats
• Defective baby carriers
• Defective swimming pool ladders that break
• Defective cribs
• Defective airbags during an accident
• If a vehicle’s roof collapses during a rollover accident
• Defective tires
• Gas grills
• Warning label errors
• Defective appliances that may result in electrocution
• Medtronic bone infuse graph
• Defective hip implant
• Heart valve ring
• Defective surgical mesh
• Defective defibrillator leads

It could be a company that is in a hurry to get a product out in time for the holidays. It could be a medical device that is being rushed into the market without clinical testing. Maybe it is a company that already has a successful product, but is now looking to use cheaper material in order to maximize profits. What these scenarios all have in common is that a corporation made a decision to focus more on what benefits the business and less on the safety of its customers.

You need to take action if you or a loved one has been injured due to a defective product. Contact our Ft. Lauderdale office and speak to one of our product liability lawyers about your case. Let us know everything that happened and we will gladly answer your questions, address your concerns and clearly explain to you what your options are. You will not be billed for any of this.