Common Types of Defective Consumer Products | Scott Goodwin Law

Common Types of Defective Consumer Products

by / Wednesday, 01 February 2023 / Published in Defective Products
A kitchen full of appliances.

On any given day, we encounter a wide range of consumer products. There are the day-to-day essentials we need in our lives, like food, drinks, and medications. There are the vehicles we use to get around and the appliances in our homes. There are also several types of products that people use so often that they seem mundane, like kitchen utensils or furniture. 

When people buy a product of any kind, they tend to do so thinking it’s going to be reasonably safe for them to use. But in reality, many consumer products are recalled every year because of safety issues. Some types of products tend to be recalled more often than others though. Here are some of the most frequently recalled products you might have.

Cars

Car recalls are extremely common. It’s estimated that over 1 in 4 vehicles on the road in the United States has an open recall on it. While some types of car recalls get a lot of media coverage, such as the GM ignition switch recall and the Takata airbag recall, most of the car recalls that occur every year don’t get nearly as much publicity. According to Recall Masters, a total of 31.8 million cars were recalled in 2021, both through recalls mandated by the NHTSA or voluntary recalls by the manufacturer. 

To find out if your car has been recalled, the NHTSA has a Recall page on their website. All you have to do is enter the VIN number for your vehicle and you’ll be able to see if there are any open recalls that apply to your car. While car manufacturers are supposed to make an effort to notify owners about recalls, it’s a good idea to occasionally check this site on your own to make sure you didn’t miss any notices. It’s also a good idea to check for recalls if you’ve recently bought a used car or are considering buying a used car. 

Medication & Medical Devices

According to Drugwatch, about 4,500 drugs and medical devices are removed from shelves every year because of product recalls. Very often, these products are in wide use by the time they end up being recalled. According to one study, 85.2% of these types of recalls between January 2017 and September 2019 were for pharmaceutical drugs and 14.8% were for medical devices. Per this study, the most common reason for recalls of pharmaceutical drugs were due to product quality problems (such as sterility issues) and problems with product labeling. 

To see if a medication or medical device has been recalled,the FDA has a recall lookup tool on their website. 

Car Seats & Children’s Products

As hard as parents try to protect their children and make the safest choices for them, products intended for children in general are a major target for safety recalls. Safe Kids Worldwide reports that in 2014, over six million car seats were recalled but less than half of them had the necessary repairs made. Car seats are often recalled because of problems like choking hazards, designs that don’t adequately protect the child, inadequate safety warning and instructions, and components that can break or come apart. (Want to see if a car seat has been recalled? The NHTSA also has a car seat recall lookup tool on their website.)

When it comes to toys, sometimes it can be alarmingly easy for recalled toys to reach consumers through online marketplaces like eBay and Facebook Marketplace or through resale options like thrift stores and garage sales. (In some cases, recalled toys may even remain on the shelves of well-known brick-and-mortar stores even though they’re supposed to be removed.) Clothing for children could also be recalled for flammability issues. 

To find out if a product you’ve bought for your child has been recalled, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) has a recall lookup tool on their website.

Home Appliances

Home appliances can include both major appliances, such as stoves and dryers, and smaller products like toaster ovens and slow cookers. Products that are designed to generate heat, like stoves, toasters, and dryers, can potentially pose a fire hazard if not designed or manufactured correctly. Electrocution is a risk that may come with any type of defective electronic product. Another way appliances may be defective is if their design makes them prone to tipping over. According to a 2021 report from the USCPSC, about 900 injuries occur every year because of an unstable design of appliances and other products. 

If you’d like to see if an appliance in your home has been recalled, the USCPSC’s recall lookup tool can help. 

Contact a Michigan Defective Product Lawyer

If you’ve been injured by a defective product, contact a product injury lawyer as soon as possible. Cases involving defective products can be complex and it’s important to have someone on your side who knows the law and can help you get the justice you deserve. At Scott Goodwin Law P.C., you’ll be able to get help from a lawyer experienced in handling product liability cases in the state of Michigan. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation where you’ll be able to get answers to any questions you have and learn more about your legal options.

Image: Unsplash / Sidekix Media

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