We all depend on the products we purchase to use or consume. The last thing anyone expects is that a defective product will cause harm to themselves or their family. However, defective products can cause significant injuries or illnesses, and if this happens to you or your family, you need to know what steps to take next. Here, we want to discuss what you can do if you were injured by a defective product.
Seek Medical Care Immediately
The number one priority after sustaining an injury or illness caused by a defective product is to seek medical treatment immediately. This could include calling 911 and letting EMS officials examine you and take you to the hospital. If the situation is not a dire emergency, you still need to go to the emergency room or your doctor for an evaluation. Even if you do not feel much pain or illness right away, do not take any chances.
Not only does seeking immediate medical care ensure your well-being, but it also establishes a solid link between any injury and illness and the defective product.
Gather Evidence
You or your family members should begin gathering as much evidence as possible about the incident. This can include documenting the scene with a cell phone. You can use the phone to take photographs of the defective product and the surrounding area, as well as any injuries sustained.
If there were any eyewitnesses to the defective product incident, including family members, friends, or bystanders, you need to get their names and contact information written down as soon as possible.
Do not throw away the defective product. You need to keep the product somewhere safe as well as the packaging the product came in. If there was any property damage or clothing damaged as a result of the incident, you need to keep these items as well.
Finally, if the incident is severe enough to warrant a police or emergency response, you need to ask for copies of all records from emergency personnel.
Contact a Product Liability Attorney
As soon as you or a family member sustain an injury caused by a defective product, you need to consider reaching out to a skilled attorney immediately. A product liability lawyer in Philadelphia can examine every aspect of your case. They will have the resources necessary to conduct a complete investigation into the defective product incident. This includes not only examining the product in question but also looking at other incidents involving this particular product in Pennsylvania and around the country.
Your product liability attorney will be your advocate. They will handle all communication with other parties involved, and they will fully prepare your case for trial if necessary.
Continue Medical Care
It is crucial for any person who sustains an injury or illness caused by a defective product to continue all medical treatment prescribed by their doctor. If you choose to discontinue medical treatment before your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement, this can be taken as a sign by the other parties that were not as injured as you say you were. They could use this to justify paying out a lower settlement or to deny the claim altogether.