Macon Product Liability Lawyer

When Everyday Consumer Products Hide Dangerous Design Flaws

Some of the products most commonly found in homes can also be the most dangerous. From children’s toys to kitchen appliances, furniture, electronics and backyard weed killers, a wide range of products pose hidden threats that can change people’s lives forever.

If you or a loved one has been hurt by a defective or dangerous product in Georgia, you are not alone. You have the right to hold the manufacturer and seller responsible. The state’s product liability law requires that all products are reasonably safe when used as intended. The law is designed to ensure that companies who put unsafe products into the marketplace can be held accountable when their failures cause real harm.

The Macon product liability lawyers at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm help people who have been injured by defective and malfunctioning products. We are experienced attorneys who have dedicated our careers to getting people injured in accidents the full compensation available under the law.

Massive conglomerates and other companies that manufacture and sell products often fight these cases hard. They employ small armies of lawyers and push settlements for pennies on the dollar in the aftermath of accidents. Our attorneys have a strong track record of successful results for clients in the courtroom and at the negotiating table.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a harmful product, our Macon product liability lawyers are just a phone call away. Call us today at 478-845-6464 to speak with an attorney about your rights and options.

Liability for Harmful Products in Georgia

Product liability is the legal term for claims against manufacturers, designers, distributors and sellers over products that cause illnesses and injuries.

Georgia imposes strict liability on manufacturers, meaning that people injured by harmful products do not need to prove that the manufacturer was negligent. Instead, they simply must show that:

• The product was defective in a way that made it unreasonably dangerous,
• You were using it as intended or in a reasonably foreseeable way,
• The defect directly caused your injury or illness, and
• The product was in substantially the same condition at the time of injury as when it left the manufacturer

This strict liability standard is powerful for consumers because it eliminates the need to prove that the manufacturer was careless. It generally does not apply, however, to retailers and distributors.

How Products are Defective

Harmful products often are defective in the way that they are designed or manufactured. They also can be defective in the way that they are marketed.

Design Defects

A design defect exists when the very plan or blueprint of the product is unsafe. In other words, the entire product line is dangerous even when made correctly. Injured people pursuing claims for design defects often must show that a reasonable alternative design was available that would have made the product safer without imposing undue burden on the designer.

Manufacturing Defects

These defects occur when a product does not match its design due to an error during production. Manufacturing defects make otherwise safely designed products dangerous. Examples include contaminated batches of medications or products that mistakenly leave factories without safety devices.

Marketing Defects

Even if a product’s design and manufacture are sound, a manufacturer can be liable if it fails to adequately warn about foreseeable risks. This is sometimes called a “failure to warn” problem because labeling does not clearly communicate a risk that a reasonable user wouldn’t know about.

When Everyday Consumer Products Hide Dangerous Design Flaws

Many people blame themselves after an injury, believing they made a mistake in handling or using a product. The reality is that the product may have been unsafe even when used exactly as intended.

Most people assume that the products they buy are safe to use as long as they follow the instructions. After all, these items passed inspections, were sold by reputable companies and are used by millions of people every day. Sadly, that assumption is often dangerously wrong.

Many of the most serious injuries in defective products cases happen not because a product was used incorrectly, but because a design flaw made the product unsafe from the very beginning. These flaws can remain hidden for years, injuring consumers one by one before the problem is recognized.

Design flaws often involve:

• Poor stability or balance
• Inadequate safety guards
• Unsafe materials
• Faulty electrical layouts
• Sharp edges or pinch points
• Excessive heat or pressure exposure
• Unprotected moving parts

These dangers are baked into products’ designs, meaning that no amount of careful use can fully eliminate the risk.

Many design defects are far from obvious at first glance. Consumers see products that look normal and appear to work as advertised, until disaster strikes. Flaws often remain hidden because products fail suddenly and without warning, prompting manufacturers to dismiss them as “user errors.” Such incidents occur gradually over time and in different locations around the world, making them much more likely to be treated as isolated events than the obvious results of the same hazard.

Everyday Products with Hidden Design Dangers

Design flaws are lurking in some products that are commonly found in homes and workplaces. Here are some of the most common types of products that cause injuries as a result of design defects.

• • Household appliances: Coffee makers, microwaves, pressure cookers and space heaters can hide serious design risks. Poor temperature regulation, unstable bases, weak pressure-release systems and inadequate insulation can lead to burns, fires or explosions, even during routine use.
  • Cars and vehicle parts: Vehicle design defects can involve rollover risks, weak roofs, defective seatbelts, faulty airbags and poorly positioned fuel systems. These flaws may not cause injuries until crashes happen, but the consequences can be severe and even fatal.
  • Furniture and home goods: Dressers, shelves and televisions that are prone to tipping are a prime example of design flaws causing widespread harm. Even when used normally, unstable designs can collapse or tip over, especially endangering children.
  • Tools and machinery: Power tools, lawn equipment and industrial machines may lack adequate guards, emergency shutoffs or safe spacing between moving parts. These omissions can result in amputations and crushing injuries.

• Children’s toys and products: Products designed for children should be among the safest. Unfortunately, poorly designed cribs, car seats, strollers and toys can pose choking, suffocation and strangulation risks. Children are particularly vulnerable because they cannot recognize danger or protect themselves.

Manufacturers often try to protect themselves by including warnings buried in the fine print of voluminous instruction manuals. Warnings are important, but they do not excuse dangerous designs. A product must be safe for its intended use and reasonably foreseeable use. That means companies are expected to anticipate how real people will actually use their products.

What to Do if You Are Injured by a Harmful Product

The actions that you take after being injured by a harmful product can significantly impact your ability to get compensation and ensure that those responsible for the injury are made accountable. Our Macon product liability lawyers recommend that you take the following steps.

First, seek immediate medical attention. Addressing your injuries is of the utmost importance. Treatment records are often critical in showing the extent of the injuries and how they were caused.

Keep the product and its packaging. Make sure they are kept in a place where they will not be moved or disturbed. This is important for establishing that the product is defective and that it was in substantially the same condition at the time of the injury as when it left the manufacturer. Packaging and any documents that came with the product

Also can be crucial in resolving any questions about whether you were using the product in a way that was intended by the manufacturer or reasonably foreseeable.

Document everything. Take photos of your injury, the product, and the scene where the injury occurred. Write down what happened while the details are fresh. Get contact information for anyone who witnessed the injury. Save receipts and record all product information, such as the manufacturer, model name and number, serial number and date and place of purchase. This is particularly helpful when you do not have the packaging or the product has been damaged or destroyed.

Seek the advice of an experienced attorney. Georgia law imposes strict deadlines that require people to file injury claims within certain time frames or forfeiting their right to seek compensation. A seasoned injury lawyer can evaluate your claim and help you weigh your rights and options.

Do not communicate directly with manufacturers or their insurers. These companies often try to score quick, lowball settlements to resolve claims for far less than they are worth. Let your attorney handle any discussions.

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm Helps People Get Back on Their Feet

At Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, our Macon product liability lawyers are dedicated to helping people and families who have been injured by harmful products and in other accidents. We fight diligently to protect and defend our clients rights, from the first consultation through final resolution.

Our goal is to help you move on with your life after an accident by getting the full compensation available under the law. Call our team at 478-845-6464 for a free, no-risk consultation.