If you have been injured, been made ill, or incurred property damage, via the use of a defective product, the blame lies with the company that sold it to you. The term defective product also applies to contaminated food, surgery implications such as faulty breast implants, or furniture issues such as breaks and cracks that have caused injury or damage. Injuries sustained from the defective products can range from one-off injuries such as cuts and bruises to life-threatening conditions such as cancer or HIV.
What defines a Defective Product?
As noted above, “Defective Products” is a broad term that many items and products can fall under, but what exactly defines a defective product? By law, all products in the UK must be as described and be made to a satisfactory quality. Anything that doesn’t meet this is deemed defective. This also includes digital content. Therefore, many claims can fall under defective product compensation.
What to do after an Illness or Injury from Defective Products
So, what exactly happens after you develop an injury from a defective product? Well, the first thing is to ensure you are eligible for a defective product claim. To find this out, give us a call on 0151 242 5111 and one of our qualified team members will be able to assist you. This type of defective product claim also applies to products that have ruined your property.
Next, you will need to make a note of your injuries, gather evidence, and speak to a solicitor about establishing Product Liability before claiming for defective product compensation.
What is Product Liability?
In order to receive defective product compensation for an injury or illness, you must first establish product liability. This means that businesses that are responsible for the safety of the products they sell to consumers are held accountable for any damage their products incur. The definition of “safe” will differ from sector to sector and business to business, however, many (if not all) manufacturers are responsible for the following:
- Monitoring high-risk products to ensure that they are safe even after a sale has been made
- Warning users of potential risks that accompany their product
- Provide risk warnings where applicable to customers
High-risk items products include the likes of toys, food, and fireworks. All issues, injuries and illnesses made from these types of products fall under the term of defective products. In order to see if you can make a defective product claim, contact us today.
Is there a time limit for when I can claim?
By law, you can return an item to the manufacturer within 30 days of when you purchased the goods. After this time you may still be entitled to a replacement item and will need to check this with the manufacturer. If your damage, illness or injury is severe, or if you would like to make a claim for defective product compensation against a company or manufacturer, you can do so. Under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, a defective product claim can be made against defective products for up to three years since an injury has occurred.
