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Defective Products (Class Action) Lawyers
What Are Defective Products?
Manufacturers have a duty to make sure the products they sell to the public are safe. If a product has a design flaw or manufacturing flaw, it is a defective product. When that defect makes the product unsafe, manufacturers may be held liable for any resulting injuries.
When a defective product is sold to the general public, many people are bound to suffer the consequences of the defect. When this happens, all those who have been injured by the defective product may bring a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer.
Defective Products
Here is a list of some defective products whose use can result in personal injury:
- Auto Defects / Recalls
- Baxter Dialyzers
- Breast Implants
- Consumer Products
- Food Contamination
- Ford Explorer
- Heart Valve Replacement
- Sulzer Hip Implant
- Tobacco / Smoking Cigarettes
Auto Defects / Recalls
- Products - Automotive products include car parts, tires, car paint, and the vehicles themselves.
- Defects - Like all other products, automobiles and automobile parts can suffer from design and manufacturing defects. These defects can result in injuries to consumers. When they do, the automobile manufacturer can be held liable for the consumers' injuries.
- Recalls - Occasionally, an automobile manufacturer will "recall," or take back, automobiles or automobile parts that are found to be defective. Usually they'll fix or replace the defective part or vehicle free of charge in a recall.
If you have been injured because of an automotive defect you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can help you recover monetary damages for the injuries you suffered, and guide you through the complicated legal process.
Baxter Dialyzers
- Product Description - Baxter Dialyzers are medical devices used for kidney dialysis.
- Product Defect - The Baxter Dialyzer was releasing a chemical into the patients' bodies that was toxic. A number of people died as a result.
- Product Status - The defective Baxter Dialyzers have been recalled. They should no longer be used.
If you are presently using or have used a Baxter Dialyzer you should see your doctor immediately. If you have suffered injuries as a result, you should contact an attorney who can help you recover damages for your injury.
Breast Implants
- Product Description - Breast Implants are prosthetics used to increase the size of a woman's breasts. They primarily come in two varieties: Saline Breast Implants, and Silicone Breast Implants.
- Product Defect - Silicone Breast Implants are made of a silicone shell filled with silicone gel. The shell can sometimes leak or tear, releasing silicone gel into the body. This can result in pain, tenderness, and burning in a woman's chest. Additionally, the silicone may migrate to other parts of the body, creating lumps in the skin.
- Product Status - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stopped the use of all silicone breast implants, allowing their use only for exceptional circumstances. Several class action lawsuits against silicone breast implant manufacturers have been settled or are near settlement. These manufacturers include:
- 3M
- Baxter
- Bristol
- Dow Corning
- Saline breast implants are still available, but their safety has yet to be demonstrated
If you have breast implants, you should check with your doctor to see if they have ruptured or leaked, or you are experiencing any adverse side effects. If you believe you have been injured by your breast implants, you should speak with a lawyer immediately. An experienced lawyer can help you protect your legal rights and get you proper compensation for your injuries.
Consumer Products
- Products - Consumer products include almost everything you buy, excluding vehicles, houses, and heavy-duty equipment.
- Defects - Consumer product manufacturers are obligated to make sure that the products they sell to the public are safe. If a manufacturer sells a defective product to the public, and people are injured as a result, then the manufacturer can be held liable for their damages. If you have been injured by a defective consumer product, you may be entitled to damages. You should speak with a lawyer who can explain your legal options, evaluate your case, and if warranted, help you get damages for your injuries.
Food Contamination
- Products - Food products include everything you eat, from what you buy at the grocery store to what you're served at a restaurant.
- Defects - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the safety of food sold to the public. The FDA obligates food producers to make sure that the food they sell is safe and properly labeled. This includes making sure that the food's ingredient and nutrition information are correctly listed on the product. Additionally, food producers must make sure that food is free of harmful bacteria, such as E. coli. If food is found to be unsafe or improperly labeled, the manufacturer should perform a recall, removing the product from the general public.
If you have been injured because you have eaten unsafe food or suffered because the food was not properly labeled, you may be entitled to damages. You should speak with an attorney who can explain your legal options, evaluate your case, and if warranted, help you get damages for your injuries.
Ford Explorer
- Product Description - The Ford Explorer is America's most popular sports utility vehicle. Many Ford Explorers come equipped with Firestone and Bridgestone tires.
- Product Defect - Some models of Ford Explorers built between 1991 and 2001 were equipped with Firestone and Bridgestone tires. These tires suffered from a design defect, which caused tread separation, resulting in many accidents and hundreds of serious injuries and deaths. It is also alleged that due to a design defect Ford Explorers are prone to rollover, causing serious injuries and death.
- Product Status - Many successful lawsuits have been filed against Ford and Firestone, prompting Firestone to recall the defective tires. Efforts to file a class action lawsuit against Ford for rollover accidents, however, have failed. Individuals are still suing Ford for rollover accidents and many succeed.
If you have been injured in a Ford Explorer rollover accident or a tire-related accident, you should hire a lawyer who can help you recover damages for your medical bills and your car's damages.
Heart Valve Replacement
- Product Description - Heart Valve Replacements are synthetic devices that can replace organic heart valves that have begun to fail.
- Product Defect - Some Heart Valve Replacements are defective. St. Jude Medical, Inc. manufactured a heart valve replacement coated with a material called Silzone. It was later found that Silzone could cause infection and eventual heart failure.
- Product Status -St. Jude Medical has recalled all heart replacement valves coated with Silzone. There is currently litigation against St. Jude Medical, including a class action lawsuit.
If you had heart valve replacement surgery, you should check with your doctor to make sure Silzone was not used. If Silzone was used, you may need another surgery to replace the defective valve. You should also speak with a lawyer if you believe you might have suffered damage as a result of a heart valve replacement surgery. An experienced attorney can properly evaluate your case and help you recover damages for your injuries.
Sulzer Hip Implant
- Product Description - Sulzer Hip Implants are synthetic parts that were used in hip replacement surgeries.
- Product Defect - Sulzer Hip Implants were improperly sprayed with a type of machining oil. As a result, the implant became loose in many patients after surgery, causing extreme pain and sometimes infections.
- Product Status - The Sulzer Hip implant has been recalled. Additionally, a class action lawsuit was brought against Sulzer, which resulted in a $1 billion settlement. Recently, Sulzer changed its name to Centerpulse.
If you had hip replacement surgery, you should check with your doctor to make sure you did not receive a defective Sulzer Hip Implant. If you did, you may need medical attention right away. You should also hire a lawyer who will help you get properly compensated for your injuries and unnecessary pain and suffering.
Tobacco / Smoking Cigarettes
- Description - Tobacco is a crop grown predominantly in the southeastern United States. Tobacco is usually smoked and has been found to have addictive properties. Tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco.
- Risks - Smoking cigarettes has been linked to a number of fatal diseases including lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. Pregnant women who smoke put their babies at risk of numerous birth defects. Those exposed to large amounts of second-hand smoke are also at risk for the same diseases. Chewing tobacco has been linked to oral cancer, which is also a debilitating disease.
If you have contracted a disease as a result of tobacco use you may be able to sue the tobacco companies for damages. There are many class action suits against tobacco companies that you may be able to join. You should speak with a lawyer who can explain all of your legal options. An experienced lawyer can help to protect your legal rights and get proper compensation for your injuries.
Vea esta página en español: Productos Defectivos Demanda a Clase "Class Action" o visita Abogados-Leyes.com para más información legal.
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