Skip to main content What Should I Do With the Defective Products in My House?
Manufacturers can be held accountable for their negligence if you can prove that they knew or should have known about a condition of their product that can potentially increase the risk of injury. Consumers buy and use products all the time with the expectation that nothing will malfunction and cause property damage or bodily injury.
When this occurs, the entire experience is traumatic. You might have had to get medical attention or file a homeowners insurance claim. You probably want to put this entire situation behind you, but acting too quickly to move the defective product could lead to issues down the road if you need to file a lawsuit.
The defective products in your house can present a quandary of concerns. How should you handle these and should you hold on to all of the evidence if it becomes the basis of a defective products case? A defective products attorney can help you to file a legal claim and recover compensation for the injuries you have sustained. Although you might not want the unpleasant memories associated with a currently defective product, you may need to hold on to this evidence so that it can be used in your legal claim.
If you are curious about what to do with defective products in my house you may need to consult with an experienced defective products lawyer. Make sure that you remove the defective products from anywhere where they could cause injuries or additional harm but you might want to capture videos or pictures of some of the damage done in the event that the underlying product becomes destroyed and you still need to reference it.
What Are My Next Steps If I've Been Hurt?
Likely your search for what to do with defective products in my house is part of a bigger defective products legal claim. If you have suffered damage connected to cancer, your best bet is to contact an experienced product liability attorney as soon as possible because defective product litigation is extremely complicated and you may not be successful if you tried to handle this on your own. You need an attorney who has ample experience in plenty of defective product cases so that you have someone in your corner to help with settlement negotiations or other aspects of your claim.
What to Do With the Product
Remove the product from the initial scene of the accident or incident since this can greatly decrease your chances of a future injury. Make sure that you have stored it in a safe location where it is unlikely to cause further harm. Explain to any other family members or residents in the home why you have stored it in this way so that they can steer clear.
Before you hire an attorney, storing the defective product safely is one of the most important things you can do to protect your claim integrity. If you are asking what to do with defective products in my house, you want to keep it because this could become evidence in your product liability claim. When a company recalls a product, they almost always recommend turning it back over to the company or throwing it away. However, this does not help you in the event of a possible legal case.
It’s not unheard of for companies to sell or produce defective products and to wait to recall them until hundreds or even thousands of people have been harmed. If keeping the product poses a risk to your family, then yes, it may be responsible to get rid of it as soon as possible.
However, you can also turn this over to your product liability attorney to have them examine it in full to determine the full source of the defect, how it might have happened, and other elements that could be important for your case. Store the product safely without endangering yourself, for the time being, while you wait to hand it over to your lawyer. Plenty of defective products can be put in a box and stored someplace safe until your attorney needs it. It might also be a good idea to think about these additional precautions.
With dangerous electronic devices or appliances, disconnect that product from the power supply and store it far from anything that could lead to a fire risk. Make sure that everyone in the home knows that the product or appliance can no longer be used at all. If you were recently in a vehicle accident caused by a defective part, you may need to contact your attorney to have the entire vehicle completely examined.
Do not allow the vehicle to be fully repaired or allow it to be destroyed until you have had an opportunity to collect the evidence in the form of the defective product. If you have a dangerous medication, packaging and the drug itself should be kept in a room-temperature location where no one will accidentally consume it or come across it.
You also need to be especially mindful if you are an employer and the defective product is in your work location. Any documents associated with the product should also be collected at this time. These documents can be those that prove that you bought the product, where you bought it, and when you bought it. This can all become helpful for your case especially if you have a receipt and any instructions or warnings provided to you by the manufacturer. Try to find paperwork like receipts for the product, warranties, or other documents showing how to safely use the product, information from your doctor if it was medication or from the person who sold it to you, and invoices for any repairs and maintenance that you had done to the item.
What if I Already Threw the Product Away?
If you weren’t sure what to do with a defective product and already got rid of it before you could talk to an experienced lawyer, you do still have options. This doesn’t mean you’re blocked from filing a suit, but hopefully, you do already have some information organized to make sure that you can file a claim with evidence.
If you have pictures, videos, insurance documents, medical records, or other information, this can all be used to help you create a comprehensive claim against whoever is responsible for your injuries. There might be more than one party you can name in your lawsuit, and the more evidence you have to support your arguments, the easier it is for your defective product lawyer to help you with these claims.
Do I Really Need an Attorney for a Product Liability Claim?
When you are asking what to do with defective products in my house, you may not yet be ready to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. However, one of the most complicated factors associated with product liability litigation has to do with which party is responsible for that defect. Plenty of products go through many different steps before they hit the market, from manufacture to design to assembly and sales and marketing. Multiple companies might be involved in the supply chain and more than one party could be held accountable for the injuries that you have sustained. Your attorney should have years of experience in representing consumers who have been seriously hurt by defective products and you should engage this person as soon as possible to protect your right to file a lawsuit and to give you further information about what is required for products liability.
Defective household products cause far too many injuries every single year in the United States and it is often consumers who had no idea of the danger they were facing dealing with the consequences. The United States is in fact home to the biggest consumer goods market in the world and Americans expect that when they purchase products, these products will be safe. However, whether it's an electronic, a medication, a cosmetic or a toy, you never expect that you will suffer the damages of a defective product.
There are over 38 million consumer product-related injuries in a year, associated with things like toxic chemical exposure, burns, electrocution, poisoning, and more. Whether in the home or on the job, defective toys, electronics, and other products can all cause significant damage. This is why you need to be prepared to proceed with an experienced product liability lawyer if you find yourself in this circumstance and need to protect your best interests.
If you have evidence from your case and need a full claim evaluation to decide on your next steps, now is a good time to speak with a defective product lawyer. Your lawyer might also be able to give you some advice about how to safely store the component that caused your injuries, too. The more evidence you have supporting what happened in the incident, the more that evidence works to tell the story for you. Your lawyer will help you collect and organize these details so that you have someone in your corner advocating for your rights from beginning to end of the case.
If you have been injured by a faulty product and are ready to take your next steps in holding the manufacturer accountable, you can contact Morgan & Morgan for a free, confidential case evaluation to get started.
