Every year in Oklahoma, defective products are responsible for thousands of personal injuries and wrongful deaths. Although most consumer products are manufactured with consumer safety in mind, some may be prone to malfunctioning due to flaws in their design, manufacturing errors or inadequate warnings. Yet, many of these defective products still make it to stores and, ultimately, into our homes. This article covers what you should do if you have been injured by a defective product in Oklahoma.
What To Do
If you have been injured by a defective product, you are probably concerned about your injuries and finances. You may be wondering who is going to pay for your medical expenses, your lost wages and your pain and suffering. There are certain tips that a product liability attorney will give you to protect your legal right to compensation for your injuries and losses.
After you have sought appropriate medical care for your injuries, the first thing you should do is preserve the product. If you don’t have the product, you don’t have a claim. Save the product, the packaging and any other material that came with the product. Write down the brand name, serial number and any other relevant details. This information may prove to be useful if a lawsuit follows.
Keep the product in a safe place to prevent any further damage to yourself, others or to the product itself. Secondly, it’s important to locate any witnesses to the injury-causing incident. Write down their names and contact information.
Finally, speak with a qualified product liability attorney as soon as possible. Do not discuss the circumstances with anyone else besides your doctor. The manufacturer may employ private investigators to get a statement from you that may hurt your case in the long run.
Keys to Your Case
The keys to a product liability case are:
- The product was used properly; and that
- All manufacturer’s warnings and recommendations were followed.
Product liability is complex. Proving that a defective product caused your injuries can be complicated and expensive. Firstly, you have to prove that the product was defective. Then, you must demonstrate that you did not misuse the product and that you used it in the manner the manufacturer intended it to be used. Finally, you have to prove that you were actually injured by the product; or, more precisely, that the defect you have cited actually caused your injuries. These defects can be in the way the product was designed, the way it was manufactured or in the way the manufacturer instructed you to use it.
If you are injured after using the product properly and adhering to all the manufacturer’s warning and recommendations, there is a good chance others have also been injured using the product. If so, the product may already be part of a class action lawsuit. In most cases, the manufacturer will be held responsible for any injuries caused by a defective product under strict liability laws. Therefore, as a victim of defective products, you may be eligible to receive damages from the manufacturer for your injuries, financial losses and emotional distress.
Low-cost Consultation: Oklahoma City Personal Injury Attorney
If you think you are a victim of a product defect in Oklahoma, you should contact a qualified personal injury attorney immediately. You will need the legal and investigative resources of a law firm who has experience pursuing defective product cases. Product liability attorneys have access to expert witnesses who can study the product that caused your injuries and determine if it was designed or manufactured defectively. For a initial, no-risk consultation with a knowledgeable Oklahoma City personal injury attorney, call today: (405) 716-4878 (716-HURT). If you prefer, you may send your question via e-mail using the form at the top right of this page. We’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible. Don’t wait another minute to find out what you may be owed. Call Personal Injury Law Office of Oklahoma City today!