Defective Household Appliances Causing Death and Serious Injury
Over the last century, appliances have improved the quality of life for American households. Functions that previously had to be done by hand could now be performed automatically. Appliances have made things easier in the kitchen and have made having clean clothes a quicker and more predictable process. However, appliances have also introduced danger into the American household. Making something electric brings on a new set of risks. Over the years, scores of Americans have been injured by defective products. There are numerous risks when you use a product that relies on electricity and operates at a high measure of heat. In general, appliances can be dangerous because so many things can go wrong. These are complex products that have wires, motors and many different parts. Any one of these parts can malfunction and injure a consumer. Sometimes, injuries resulting from defective appliances can cause death or severe, catastrophic injuries. If you loved one, spouse or child was severely injured as a result of a dangerous appliances get justice through a big time, high powered personal injury lawyer who has experience with litigating product liability lawsuits.
Appliances Cause Thousands of Injuries Each Year
One research study shows that nearly one in every four household fires are caused by appliances. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, over 150,000 people will go to the emergency room every year because of household appliance injuries. The brands that consumers trust not only do not always deliver for them, but they can injure them too.
Here are some of the most dangerous appliances in your home:
● Stoves
● Refrigerators
● Microwave ovens
● Washing machines
● Dryers
● Toasters
● Space heaters
● Refrigerators
● Dishwashers
Updates 10/8/23- “Saskatoon fire caused by faulty dryer caused estimated $50,000 damage A fire that started in the laundry of a home in the 100 block of LeMay Crescent on Friday caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to the home” Star Phoenix
The most dangerous appliance on the above list is a space heater. You may have heard of a recent deadly fire in the Bronx that killed 19 people. The cause was a space heater. In the kitchen, surprisingly enough, the most dangerous appliance is a toaster. Every year, 700 people worldwide are killed by toaster injuries. With a toaster, people are directly touching and manipulating the appliance with their hands. Even smaller appliances that may seem harmless have caused serious injuries.
Major Risks from Household Appliances
Here are some of the major risks from household appliances that cause injuries:
Electrocution – Faulty wiring is one of the most common defects in a household appliance. When an appliance short-circuits, it can cause a fire or electrocution. Consumer products cause nearly half of the electrocution fatalities in the United States. Larger appliances such as washers and dryers have higher risks of severe electrocution injuries because they use more electricity.Even smaller appliances can be serious risks when they have defects such as exposed wiring. Burns – Appliances can cause burns directly when people touch them. This is common when they overheat during use. This happens most often with small household appliances, such as toaster ovens. There have been numerous examples of appliances such as coffee makers and
deep fryers that overheat and cause burns to the consumer’s limbs and face.
Fire – Not only can users be burned by directly touching these appliances, but they may ignite the home. Faulty wiring and defective parts often cause fires. Stoves and ovens are especially risky because of the way that they use gas. Statistics show that ranges are by far the most common appliance to cause a fire. Dryers are the second-biggest cause of fires because of the
extreme heat that they use to dry clothing.
Tipping – One of the overlooked risks of household appliances is that they may tip over and fall on someone. This is particularly true with larger appliances such as refrigerators. Manufacturers may try to cut back on their manufacturing costs, especially as raw materials are becoming far more expensive. They may use lower-grade steel that could lead to the appliance becoming
unstable.
Carbon Monoxide – This type of poisoning is a silent killer. Colorless and odorless gas can escape from an appliance, and within minutes, the consumer can be sickened or killed. Carbon monoxide can cause brain damage through oxygen deprivation. Defective space heaters are one of the common causes of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Investigate the Cause of an Appliance Injury
Right away, you should know that appliances should never cause you injury. However, before you can try to recover financially for the harm that your appliance has done, you must understand exactly what happened and why it was defective. You should have the appliance examined by an expert to figure out where the defect was. In addition, you should report the incident to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. They may have information on other similar defects that have injured people. There are several ways that you could recover financially for a defective appliance. The first is by proving an actual product defect. If you can do this, the defendant will be strictly liable for the damages that they caused you. The only way that they can escape liability is by showing that you did not use the product as intended.
Legal Theories in a Defective Appliance Case
There are three types of product defects:
● Design defect – there is a flaw in the design that makes it unreasonably dangerous for consumers
● Manufacturing defect – there was nothing wrong with the design, but the product departed from the intended design in the manufacturing process in a way that made it unreasonably dangerous
● Marketing defect – the seller knew or should have known of the defect and failed to warn the public about it
In addition, there are several other ways to get compensation for a defective product. You could prove that the seller was negligent, meaning that they acted unreasonably in designing, manufacturing or selling the product. Finally, you could receive compensation if you can show that the seller breached one of the implied warranties that come with buying a product. If your injury results from a product defect, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Manufacturers and retailers cannot sell products that are unreasonably dangerous. If they do, anyone who was involved in the process of selling it to you can be sued. However, these are complex lawsuits that require an experienced product liability attorney. If you have been injured by a defective product, one of the first calls that you should make is to a product liability lawyer or wrongful death law firm.
