When you see something exciting and new on the shelf at the store, whether it’s a food product that includes some of your favorite ingredients or a gadget that promises to streamline your daily life, you probably assume that the product has met rigorous quality control standards and does what the manufacturer purports that it can do.
Unfortunately, manufacturers don’t always explore the ways that consumers might use or handle their products before releasing them to the public. Other times, they may change production standards after developing a prototype without exploring the impact that those changes could have.
The end result could be that you leave the store with a defective product. What rights do you have as someone who purchased a defective product?
Your rights will depend on the circumstances involving the defect
Sometimes, when you realize that there is an issue with the product, it has already malfunctioned and caused problems. In some cases, you may be able to return a defective item directly to the retail supplier where you made the purchase. Other times, you may have to wait for a company recall to be eligible for a return because you opened the product or waited outside of the retail return window.
For most people dealing with a non-working or defective product, their primary right might be to a refund of the amount spent on the product. However, sometimes defective products cause substantial hardship for consumers that demand further action and compensation.
How products can become dangerous
Electronic devices that short out could cause a fire that caught produces hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Devices that malfunction could cause severe injury to a user, while defective seals on food products could lead to a severe bacterial infection that causes someone to come violently ill, as could contamination with an undisclosed allergen.
If you or a loved one suffered substantial physical injury, illness or property damage because of a defective product, it may be possible for you to bring a claim against the manufacturer or the retailer who provided you with the defective item. Contacting our firm can will be the first step toward evaluating whether you have a valid claim based on a defective product or not.