3 Tips to Protect Yourself Against Product Liability Lawsuits
You might think that you have nothing in common with the companies that paid out product liability settlements after their products caused catastrophic damage. Your product is not Thalidomide, Roundup, those Toyota brakes that made the cars keep accelerating, or the prescription painkillers that helped fuel the opioid epidemic. Even if it seems to you that the chances of people dying or suffering serious injuries as a result of your products, you should always anticipate the things that might go wrong and take action before someone gets hurt. It might sound costly and time consuming, but it is much better for your company’s bottom line, as well as its reputation, to be vigilant about potential dangers, rather than waiting until your products cause serious harm. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consult a product liability defense lawyer even if no one has yet named your company as a defendant in a product liability lawsuit.
Take the Earliest Signs of Trouble Seriously
Seek out the review sites, hashtags, and discussion boards where people complain about your products, and take their complaints seriously. You are lucky that, if your product seemed unsafe, someone stopped using it and started complaining. Investigate the alleged malfunctions and design flaws, and if you find that the customers’ complaints are valid, invest in redesigning your products, and issue safety recalls, if appropriate.
Display Warnings Clearly on Packaging
Many of the warnings you see on consumer products are there because of product liability lawsuits, from those cigarette boxes in Europe that say “smoking kills” to the awkwardly worded “avoid eye contact” warnings on shampoo bottles. (To be fair, the newer ones say, “avoid contact with eyes.”) You might think it is obvious that children should not use birthday candles without adult supervision, but it is better to say so on the package, in the simplest language possible, than to get sued because a child suffered a burn injury after an adult left children unattended with lighted candles, or because a child stuck a birthday candle up his nose and got an infection.
Do Your Research, Especially About Supplies Produced Outside the United States
If your company imports parts for its products from other countries, the consumers who get injured for those products can sue you for product liability as if you were the manufacturer of those products. In other words, you are legally responsible for damage caused by foreign-made items that you sell in the United States. It is essential to do thorough research about any parts you intend to use in your products, especially if those parts are manufactured outside the United States.
Contact Us Today for Professional Help
The best time to contact a Brownsville product liability defense lawyer is before someone gets seriously injured, or worse, by your products and files a product liability lawsuit against you. Contact Colvin, Saenz, Rodriguez & Kennamer, L.L.P. for help with your case.
