No parent ever wants to think about their child being injured. But sadly, defective products exist, and now and then they cause harm. If your child is injured by a defective product, you, as the parent, may be able to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault company. Here’s what you need to know about taking action.
What is a Defective Child Product?
Products that are designed for use by children or infants must meet very high safety standards. Companies that make these products must first test them rigorously and then go through a stringent approval process before they can release them to the market. This is to protect consumers and ensure that only safe products are available for purchase.
But mistakes happen, and every year, thousands of defective children’s products end up in the hands of parents and children. The most common defects that affect children’s products are:
- Design Defect–A design defect happens in the creation and testing stages of a children’s product. A flaw in the design can go unnoticed or not enough testing occurs and a dangerous product for children gets sent to manufacturing.
- Manufacturing Defect–A manufacturing defect can occur during the assembly and distribution process of a children’s product. During this process, a mistake happens that causes the product not to work properly.
- Marketing Defect–A marketing defect happens when the consumer (the parent) is not properly informed of how they or their child should use the children’s product or is not sufficiently warned about any harm the product could cause the child. The latter is especially true with no warning about age limits for products.
Steps to Take If Your Child Is Injured by Defective Product
No parent ever wants to see their child injured. But unfortunately, accidents happen. If a defective product injures your child, there are a few steps you should take to ensure their safety and protect their legal rights.
First, seek medical attention for your child right away. This is the most important thing you can do to ensure their well-being. But, this is not only important for their health but also to document the injuries. Medical records of any injuries will help in a future injury claim.
After assessing your child’s medical condition, you should start gathering evidence of the defective product and your child’s injuries. Try to take photos or videos of the defective product and the injuries it caused. Document any eyewitness accounts of what happened at the time of injury. You should also try to gather all the defective product’s packaging and paperwork and your receipt of purchase, as these documents could be useful in an injury claim.
If you decide to file a product injury claim, contact a personal injury attorney. In a defective product claim, you will need to prove that the defective product caused your child’s injuries. This can be difficult to do on your own without the necessary legal knowledge. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you build a strong case and seek the compensation you and your family deserve.
By taking these steps, you will be in a better position to hold the responsible parties accountable and get the compensation you need to help your child recover from their injuries.
If you need help with your injury claim, contact us for a free evaluation. The personal injury attorneys at Brock & Stout have been helping parents fight for compensation for their children injured by a defective product. Reach out to us and let our family help your family.