Product Liability Attorneys in Lee’s Summit, MO
Representing victims of defective products throughout Missouri
When you take an OTC medication to relieve a headache or construct a playpen for your baby, you use these products with the assumption that the products are safe for you and your loved ones to use. However, the reality is that these products are not always safe for consumers and can sometimes cause harm. As a consumer, it is natural to expect that a product should be safe for use. Yet, manufacturers in all industries are capable of producing defective products that can seriously injure or even kill us. To make matters worse, manufacturers often make decisions that put people’s lives behind potential profits.
At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, our Lee’s Summit product liability lawyers have been fighting for injured consumers for 30 years. We work with product safety experts that can explain why products are defective, when they are subject to recalls, and why they are dangerous. Our lawyers work with your doctors to show all the ways the injuries have changed your life. We have a strong track record of success negotiating settlements and obtaining substantial verdicts before juries. We’re ready to help you assert your rights.
How often do defective products injure Americans?
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), nearly 198,000 toy-related injuries happened in the United States during 2020. Sadly, 51 children also died from toy-related incidents between the years 2018 and 2020. The organization also announced 14 toy recalls that led to more than 10 million units of toys taken off of the shelves.
Unfortunately, children’s toys were not the only consumer products that suffered from serious defects. The National Safety Council (NSC) reported that “nearly 11 million people were treated in emergency departments for injuries resulting from consumer products” in 2020, and that children up to age 4 are the most likely to suffer fatal injuries from a consumer product.
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What are some common defective products?
While any product is at risk of becoming defective, there are certain products that are regularly recalled for product defects. Some of these products include:
- Household appliances. Some household appliances can release harmful poisons into a consumer’s home, like carbon monoxide. Appliances that consumers use every day like stoves, ovens, washers, and even countertop appliances like slow cookers can have electrical defects. Fires can be ignited, and carbon monoxide levels inside the home can rise, leading to serious injuries and or fatalities.
- Household furniture. Bedding, mattresses, chairs, and sofas accounted for more than 1.3 million injuries in 2020, according to the NSC. Children and the Elderly suffered the greatest number of furniture-related injuries for any population.
- Vehicle defects. From faulty airbags and ignition switches to batteries that can on fire, defective auto parts cause serious injuries every single year. Companies don’t always recall dangerous vehicles right away, so if a defective car part caused you harm, you should seek legal counsel quickly.
- Children’s toys. Unfortunately, children’s toys and baby items are some of the most common major product recalls. Some of the common defective children’s toys include small toys with detachable pieces that children can swallow and choke on, as well as furniture that can tip over and cause significant harm to smaller children.
- Cleaning products. Similar to household appliances, cleaning products can expose consumers to dangerous chemicals. Accidentally ingested chemicals can cause serious injuries around the eyes and throat.
- Medical devices. Patients rely on particular medical devices like stents and implants to assist in treating a condition, disease, or injury. When medical devices are discovered to be defective, a patient can suffer immediate harm or death.
- Pharmaceutical drugs. While all manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that their products are safe, drug manufacturers must go above and beyond to prove that any drug or medicine distributed on the market is safe for use. All drug manufacturers must pass criteria set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help test their drug before distributing it into the market. In addition to appropriate testing, drug manufacturers have an obligation to warn consumers of any side effects of the drug or medicine.
What types of injuries can defective products cause?
Whether the product is a medical device or a household appliance, defective and dangerous products can bring serious harm to a person or child. Some of these injuries include:
- Choking. Small parts of toys can easily break off and children can attempt to eat or chew on the small parts, leading to choking. These accidents can lead to brain injuries or death from lack of oxygen.
- Head injuries. Defective parts in cars or motorcycles can put drivers at risk of becoming involved in traffic accidents. These accidents can cause monumental trauma like traumatic brain injuries. When the brain suffers a consequential amount of damage, a person’s cognitive ability is impacted forever.
- Internal damage. Defective drugs can cause more damage than is immediately noticeable. A person’s kidneys, liver, or spleen can suffer significant injury from a defective drug. Victims can also suffer injuries like internal bleeding, torn blood vessels, and heart damage.
- Burn injuries. When household appliances burst into flames, any victims inside the house can suffer from smoke inhalation, or first-, second-, and even third-degree burns. Third-degree burns can result in severe disfigurement and lifelong pain.
- Broken bones. Things like defective highchairs or other products put children at risk of falling and breaking their bones. Broken bones can take a long time from which to recover.
What should I do if I have been injured by a defective product?
Consumers who are injured by defective products should stop using the product immediately and seek medical attention. Once you have seen a doctor and documented your injuries, you should collect as much evidence as possible regarding your accident. In addition to your medical records, ensure you do not to throw the defective product away.
If possible, consumers should keep all proof of the defective product for their claim, including instruction labels, packaging, and any faulty pieces of the product. If possible, take photos of the product. Next, reach out to a knowledgeable and aggressive Lee’s Summit personal injury lawyer.
How can a Lee’s Summit defective product attorney help my case?
Product liability lawsuits are complex cases. Manufacturers often fight them aggressively because the odds are that the product that caused your injuries has already injured many others, and one loss in court can cause an avalanche of lawsuits to follow. Determining who is responsible for your injuries and under what theory to pursue your case requires the guidance of a knowledgeable legal professional. At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we fight to hold manufacturers, distributors, and retailers liable for the injuries their defective products cause you or your loved one.
Is there a product liability lawyer near me?
Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys has offices in Lee’s Summit at 200 NE Missouri Road, Suite 200. Please call for an appointment. Our law firm also has offices throughout Missouri and Kansas.
Respected Lee’s Summit product liability lawyers
At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, our product liability lawyers work with many different experts to help prove your injury was caused by a defective product. We fight to hold manufacturers liable for the pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost income they caused you and your family. To discuss your product liability claim, call us at 816-290-7621 or fill out our contact form to schedule your free consultation today.
Lee's Summit Office
200 NE Missouri Rd, #200
Lee's Summit, MO 64086
