About 30,000 new products are unveiled in the U.S. each year. The vast majority won’t ever injure the Americans who use them and cause them to consider filing product liability claims.
There are, however, some poorly designed products that may malfunction and lead to people sustaining serious injuries while using them. If you’re ever hurt by a defective product, think about filing a product liability lawsuit against the company that manufactured it.
But first, commit to protecting your rights during the product liability claim process. These tips will help you do it.
Seek Medical Care
If a product with manufacturing defects ever causes you to suffer injuries, the first thing you should do is seek medical care. Head to a local emergency room or urgent care center to have your injuries evaluated and treated. Follow a doctor’s orders to allow your injuries to heal.
Ask medical professionals to document your injuries so you can prove that a defective product and not something else caused your injuries. People who take this step tend to have stronger product liability claims than those who wait to receive medical attention.
Preserve Key Evidence
After you’ve had injuries caused by a defective product assessed by medical professionals, work to preserve any key evidence related to a potential product liability claim. Steer clear of making any repairs to the product that injured you, and hang on to any relevant packaging, receipts, instruction manuals, and other paperwork.
Performing evidence documentation will make product liability claims stronger for personal injury plaintiffs. Don’t make the mistake of discarding a broken product and have it hurt the case you file later.
Document the Incident
In addition to preserving as much evidence from your product liability accident as possible, you should document the incident in detail to remember what happened during it. Write down:
- When the incident took place
- What happened during the incident
- How you reacted to the incident
If anyone witnessed your product liability accident, have them jot down notes about what occurred. They may provide statements that lend credence to your product liability claims.
Call a Product Liability Lawyer
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is one of the many federal agencies that police laws designed to provide consumer protection to people who trust companies to offer safe products and services. If you believe a company is knowingly selling defective products, consider touching base with one of these agencies to report their wrongdoings. They may issue a product recall to prevent further incidents like the one you were involved in.
Speak with a lawyer who has experience filing product liability claims. They will analyze the circumstances surrounding your case and determine its viability.
A product liability attorney can lend a hand with a case involving a defective product. They can also help with a case that involves a product that came with inadequate warnings or that features a company committing an alleged breach of warranty.
Understand the Statute of Limitations
Don’t put off tracking down a product liability lawyer to handle your case any longer than you have to. If you don’t locate the legal assistance you need quickly, you risk missing the statute of limitations for filing product liability claims.
In Alabama, in particular, the statute of limitations for filing personal injury claims is just one year from the date of the injuries you sustained. If you wait any longer than this, you might miss out on the opportunity to take legal action against the company that sold you a defective product.
As long as you file a product liability lawsuit within the right timeframe, you may aim to collect compensation from the manufacturer of a defective product. You can use this compensation to cover any medical costs you’ve faced. You can also utilize it to cover lost wages, rehabilitation services, pain and suffering, and more.
Contact Us for Help With Filing Product Liability Claims
Americans file roughly 6,000 product liability claims annually. Join them if you were injured by a defective product recently or if you were hurt while using a product that didn’t include the necessary warnings on it. You may be entitled to collect compensation to help you physically, emotionally, and financially recover from the accident you were involved in while using a faulty product.
Tobias & Comer Law has more than 50 years of collective experience when it comes to assisting Alabamians with product liability claims. Call us at 251-432-5001 to schedule a consultation.