What to Do If You’re Injured By a Defective Product

Nobody ever expects to be hurt by a product they buy. If you've injured by a defective product, here are some steps you should take.

When people buy things from the store, they do so under the impression that items they’re buying will be reasonably safe for them to use. But it’s alarmingly common for defective products to make their way onto store shelves. About 400 products are recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission every year, and that doesn’t even include recalls for things like cars, food products, and medications which are handled by other organizations. 

In recent years, there have been many high-profile cases of people being hurt or killed by defective products. But nobody ever expects to end up being one of those people who gets hurt by something they bought. When the unexpected happens, it’s only natural to feel unsure of what you should do next. So what should you do if you’re injured by a defective product? 

Get Medical Attention

After you’ve been injured by a defective product, the very first thing you should do is get medical attention. Your personal wellbeing needs to be your top priority. Even if you don’t think your injuries are very serious, it’s still important to see a doctor because it isn’t always easy to judge the full extent of your injuries right away. 

Seeing a doctor right away will also help tie any injuries you have to the defective product. If you were to wait to get medical attention, the manufacturer (or any other potentially liable party) might try to argue that those injuries were caused by something else. 

Keep the Product

Very often, when people find out they have a defective product, their first instinct is to throw it away or return it. After all, why would you want to hold on to a product that doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to? But if a defective product has caused injury to yourself or someone else, getting rid of that product could mean throwing away an extremely valuable piece of evidence.

Not only should you keep the product itself, you should try to keep any other things as possible that are associated with the product. This can include product packaging, manuals and other instructional materials, and any accessories that came with the product. If possible, save the receipt you received when purchasing the product. All of these things may be extremely helpful in building a case for a lawsuit. 

Contact a Lawyer

Product liability lawsuits can be very complex. Legal liability isn’t always very easy to determine in these types of cases. And once liability has been determined, making a claim for damages means taking on companies that have lawyers and insurance adjusters to protect them. But by working with a defective product lawyer, you’ll have someone on your side who understands the laws that apply to your case and can fight to protect your best interests. 

It’s also very important to get in touch with a lawyer as soon as you’re able to. In the state of California, there is a two-year statute of limitations on lawsuits for injuries caused by defective products


Have questions about a defective product injury? Contact The Wallace Firm to get help from an experienced defective product lawyer in the Los Angeles area.