Product liability laws protect consumers
The average American consumer purchases thousands of products each year and many times this transaction is carried out without thinking about the safety of the product. We don’t worry that a television we buy is going to be a fire hazard or that our hair dryer poses a safety risk. This is because we trust in agencies created to regulate the safety of the products we choose to purchase whether it’s a simple household appliance, electronics, or a car.
Unfortunately, despite all the regulation and oversight, thousands of people are injured each year by a dangerous product defect. Companies will release a product without realizing a problem exists, or, in some particularly troubling cases, companies release products they know have the potential to cause harm because fixing the problem is too costly.
It is in these cases of extreme negligence that the civil courts system can be an invaluable process for helping injured consumers and preventing future incidents. Those injured by a company’s negligence have the right to consult a Missouri personal injury attorney to try and recover damages that will offset medical bills and lost wages. Additionally, punitive damages can influence a company to discontinue negligent practices.
Recently, a Missouri jury awarded the family of Aaliyah George $8 million because of injuries sustained in a car accident when she was 2 years old. Aaliyah’s family had secured her in a car seat in the back of a vehicle, but the driver’s seat broke free in the accident and struck Aaliyah in the head. She now suffers from permanent brain damage and partial paralysis. Lawyers were successfully able to prove that the seat broke free because of a defect in the seat frame, which was produced by Johnson Controls Inc.
The Georges are not alone. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been over twenty thousand deaths and nearly 30 million serious injuries in the past few decades.
If you or a loved one has been injured by what you believe to be a dangerous product defect, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney with a strong product liability background will be able to investigate your case and the history of the product in question, including any safety recalls made by the company.
