Christmas and other holidays celebrated in the winter are an exciting time. Many gifts are exchanged and individuals in Virginia and elsewhere are excited to try out these new items. It may seem obviously, but these gifts are purchased and exchanged with the idea that they will work as they were intended. Unfortunately, some of these items may not work properly, at all or even cause a consumer to suffer injuries. In these matters, it is important for consumers to consider their rights and options if such a situation arises.
Take for example a product recall. These are issued in various situations, such as food being contaminated, a product defect causing injury or unknown dangers associated with a properly working product. When a company is aware of such situations, they are required by law to issue a recall, allowing consumers the opportunity to return a product, exchange it or even alert them to simply stop using it.
A product defect can significantly impact a company, as injuries and even death to consumers are major and tragic events. Therefore, it is in their best interest to limit the impact and harm to consumers by accepting returns, repairing defective products and even clearing the market of a certain product. Despite the efforts made by a recall, these dangerous items could still find their way into the hands of consumers – in some cases because the issue hasn’t been fully discovered or understood. Additionally, a recall may not be done properly or completely, causing consumers to become unexpectedly harmed.
When a product is recalled, it means that it is defective – but it could also mean that it is dangerous. When an item causes a consumer to suffer serious or even fatal injuries, it is vital to explore one’s rights. A products liability action could help. It could provide an injured consumer with compensation to address medical bills, pain and suffering, rehabilitation, lost wages and other related damages.