Common Types of Product Defect Claims in Valley Center

Anyone in Valley Center should feel confident making a consumer product purchase or picking up a prescription medication at the pharmacy without having to worry that the product has a serious defect and will cause severe or fatal injuries. However, defective products routinely cause consumer injuries in Southern California, and it can be difficult to know if you are buying a dangerous product or if you already own one unless a safety recall occurs or a serious injury results from use of the product. Our dedicated Valley Center personal injury lawyers want to tell you about common types of product defect claims across California.

Products Commonly Subject to Safety Recalls

Nearly any type of product can have a defect and can be dangerous to consumers, but some types of products tend to be subject to safety recalls and to have particularly serious defects more often than others. Some examples of products commonly subject to safety recalls affecting consumers in Southern California:

• Automobiles: Cars, trucks, and SUVs are frequently subject to safety recalls due to serious defects, such as problems with brakes, air bags, and other necessary safety features of the vehicle. If you receive a safety recall notice for your car, you need to have the repair or replacement made as soon as possible to avoid an injury.
• Furniture: While most of us might not think about furniture as being particularly dangerous, defects associated with dressers, bookcases, and other heavy items of household furniture can tip over and cause deadly injuries to young children. You might remember, for example, the relatively recent IKEA recalls of dangerous dressers that caused fatal injuries to kids.
• Medications: Both prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can contain harmful defects that can result in dangerous and life-threatening side effects. Nearly any medication can have such risks, including blood pressure medicines, birth control pills, antacids, and other products.
• Children’s products: Products designed for kids should be particularly safe, yet kids’ products can cause injuries at alarming rates. For example, many toys designed for children can actually contain hazardous components that can lead to cuts and lacerations, suffocation, and choking injuries.
• Pesticides: Common pesticides used at home can contain dangerous chemicals that can lead to cancer and have other devastating consequences.

Three General Types of Product Defects

In general, there are three different kinds of product defects for which you may be able to file a lawsuit, according to the Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII):

• Design defects, which are defects that occur when the product is being designed;
• Manufacturing defects, which happen when the product is being made; and/or
• Marketing defects, or “failure to warn” defects, which occur when a product is marketed in a manner that does not explain dangers associated with its use.

Contact Our Valley Center Product Defect Attorneys

If you or your child recently sustained serious injuries after using a defective product, you may be eligible to file a product liability lawsuit in order to seek financial compensation. Our experienced Valley Center product defect lawyers are here to help you with your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can assist you.