If you suspect that a product you are using is defective, it is important to take immediate steps to protect your safety and legal rights. Defective products can pose serious risks, from minor injuries to severe health issues and even death.
Perhaps obviously, the first and most important action to take if you suspect a product is defective is to stop using it immediately. Continuing to use a potentially dangerous product can lead to injuries and may complicate your ability to make any future claims that the defect was the cause of your harm – if any – as opposed to your own stubborn insistence on using something that you felt could be dangerous.
Also, as nothing is more important than your health, if the defective product has caused any injury, seek medical attention immediately. If you need any incentive to seek care, know that medical records linking your injury to the product can serve as key evidence in any legal claim for damages.
Dealing with the item
Take detailed notes on the nature of the defect. If possible, take photographs or videos of the defect and any visible damage to the product. This documentation can be helpful when it comes to establishing the presence of a defect and linking it to any harm caused. Keep the defective product in its current state and do not attempt to fix it. Storing the product safely away will help to ensure that it can be examined by your legal team later on.
Taking action
Report the issue to the manufacturer or retailer. This will put the company on notice about the defect and prompt it to take action to prevent further harm to other consumers. Additionally, you should report the defect to the appropriate government agency. In the United States, this can be done through the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which handles complaints about dangerous products, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which handles defective auto-related complaints or another agency as appropriate.
At that point, you can also seek personalized legal guidance to better understand your rights and options for compensation under the law.
