Each year, you may bring hundreds or even thousands of products into your home. These may range from food products to new appliances and personal care items. Each item that you buy with your hard-earned money should be safe for you to use. However, each year people across Fort Lauderdale and across Florida are seriously injured by defective products. Tragically, some of these defective products cause Fort Lauderdale injuries to minors and children. For example, defective toys, sports equipment, and even safety equipment can cause serious injuries to infants and children. In order to protect your family and in order to keep your home safe, follow these tips for keeping unsafe products out of your home:
1) Consider safety – not just budget – when shopping. When you head out to shop for an appliance, personal care product or any product, consider not just the price range you’re willing to pay for but also the safety of the product design itself. Look over the product carefully and consider whether it is sturdy and appears safe. Consider buying products from well-known manufacturers and trusted manufacturers with good safety records.
2) Use extra caution when buying products that have the potential for harm. Use extra caution when purchasing toys, items for infants, car safety seats, cribs, sports equipment, safety equipment, appliances, and cars. These can be especially dangerous if they are defective. Research the product before you buy and look for safety ratings online. When buying these types of products that have a higher risk of harm, buy new products rather than used products, since used products may already have been recalled or may have damage which makes them unsafe. For example, you should never buy used car safety seats or bicycle helmets, as these might not provide adequate protection in a Fort Lauderdale traffic accident.
3) Read the instructions and follow them. Products come with instructions for reason. Instructions are designed not only to show you the proper and intended use of a product, but they are designed to show you the possible risks and dangers of a product you are about to use. They can also help you assemble any product correctly, reducing the risk of injury. Reading and following directions can reduce your risk of Fort Lauderdale personal injury.
4) Sign up for recall information and register the products you buy. Many products, including personal care products as well as appliances, allow you to register your product with the manufacturer. This allows the manufacturer to contact you if there is a recall of the product. In addition, you can also sign up at government websites to automatically receive recall information about new products.
5) When using your new product, check regularly for wear and tear. Even safe products can become unsafe and cause Fort Lauderdale burn injuries as well as other injuries with common wear and tear. For example, appliances and electronics can become very unsafe if the cords or adapters become worn and damaged, causing the risk of fire. In many cases, bicycle and sports helmets need to be replaced if they are involved in an accident, as the interior of the helmet may become damaged.
Has an unsafe product harmed you or a member of your family? Contact the Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation to discuss your case with a personal injury attorney. Your case may be worth more than you think and the compensation from a legal claim can help you pay for medical costs, lost income, and other expenses related to your injuries.