Every year, defective products cause thousands of consumer injuries and deaths. While many defective products have the potential to inflict life-changing damage, certain items have historically resulted in a greater number of serious incidents and recalls than others. From exploding airbags to toxic drugs, learn from our Pittsburgh defective product attorneys about the most dangerous types of defective products that have entered the market in recent years.
Auto Parts
Our Pittsburgh car accident lawyers have handled various accident claims caused by defective auto parts. If an auto part contains a defect, it can have the potential to cause serious car accidents. A defective vehicle may not function properly or safely, making it unreasonably dangerous for drivers to operate. Bad brakes, for example, may fail in the middle of a drive and cause a car accident. Defective safety equipment could fail to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. Common examples of auto defects that our Pittsburgh defective auto part attorneys have handled claims for include:
- Airbags
- Seat belts
- Brakes
- Tires
- Gas pedals
- Electrical system
- Headlights
- Seatbacks
- Starters
- Cruise control
- Self-driving technology
You can enter your vehicle’s VIN in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle recall tool to see if it has been involved in any recent recalls. One of the most infamous examples is the Takata airbag recall. This recall involved airbags with defective inflators that exploded upon deployment and sent dangerous shrapnel into the cab. This defect was connected to at least 400 injuries and 25 deaths in the United States. The recall impacted approximately 67 million airbags.
E-Cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes boomed in popularity in the early 2000s, with billions of these devices sold to consumers worldwide in the last couple of decades. In 2019, however, a defect was discovered in some of these products that caused e-cigarettes to ignite and explode. The issue was traced back to a defective lithium-ion battery in these devices. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were at least 195 incidents of fires and explosions caused by defective e-cigarettes from 2009 to 2016, resulting in 133 acute injuries.
Medications and Medical Devices
Millions of patients rely on prescription and over-the-counter medications to treat their medical conditions. If these medications contain defects, they can do more harm than good. A medication defect could refer to a marketing error, such as the failure to warn consumers of potential side effects. It could also be an issue that happened during manufacturing, such as a contaminant getting into a batch.
Dangerous drugs could cause harmful side effects, organ damage, overdoses, adverse drug interactions and allergic reactions in unsuspecting patients. Our defective medical device attorneys in Pittsburgh know how life-saving medical devices could also contain dangerous defects, such as pacemakers, prosthetics, implants and IVC filters. These medical device defects could threaten a patient’s life.
Children’s Toys
Products that are manufactured specifically for children must adhere to high standards in terms of quality and safety. If a manufacturing company does not properly design, assemble, advertise or market a child’s toy, it could contain a defect that results in serious child injuries or deaths. Examples include toys that are poorly designed, defective electronics, strangulation or choking hazards, improperly labeled items, clothes that are not fire-resistant, and products that contain lead.
Household Appliances
Many household appliances are inherently dangerous by their nature, such as furnaces and hot water heaters. If an appliance or piece of equipment contains a defect, it can become even more likely to cause injury. Defective household appliances can pose a serious threat to consumer safety. These dangerous items may present a risk of structural fires, explosions, burn injuries, electrocutions, chemical burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, property damage and wrongful death.
Get Help After Being Injured by a Defective Product
If you were recently injured by a defective consumer product in Pittsburgh, contact Dallas W. Hartman P.C. to request a free case consultation with an attorney. Get legal help from an experienced Pittsburgh personal injury attorney to find out if you are entitled to financial compensation from the product manufacturer, distributor or another party.