Roanoke Defective Product Class Action Attorney
When a product hits the market, the company aims to sell it to as many consumers as possible. For instance, Allure reported that Olay sells 17 jars of their Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Face Cream every minute. Unfortunately, this can pose a large problem if a product is found to be in some way dangerous or defective to customers after it has already been put on shelves in thousands of stores across the country or marketed online at mega-stores such as Amazon. If one consumer is injured by a defective product, there are likely others who have suffered the same ill-fate. This is why defective products frequently become class-action lawsuits.
What is a Class-Action Lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit is a legal action taken by many individuals who have been similarly harmed against one single defendant. In the case of product liability cases, the individuals are the consumers and the single defendant is the product manufacturer. Some benefits of a class action lawsuit include that it allows injured consumers who are not financially able to hire a lawyer the opportunity to still seek restitution. They also help hold the defendant responsible since there is strength to a case when there is more proof of how dangerous the product is. The downside to class-action lawsuits is that the process can be quite lengthy and the amount of compensation each individual receives might not be as large as an individual claim against the company.
Common Dangerous or Defective Product Class-Action Lawsuits
Virtually every household and consumer product can lead to an injury if used improperly. However, thousands are released onto U.S. retail shelves that cause injuries even when used correctly. These include everything from children’s toys to motorcycles. One of the more famous class action lawsuits has been against the tobacco companies. As Bloomberg Businessweek reports, a pediatrician who smoked two packs a day was the lead plaintiff to bring a class action lawsuit against the tobacco industry in 1994. Six years later, the jury awarded 500,000 individuals a grand total of $164 billion. Other class action lawsuits have been against the following:
- Car manufacturers for faulty parts such as radiators, seat belts, brakes, air bags, or tires that lead to crashes;
- Medicines and lotions that cause cancer, stroke, birth defects, or other serious medical conditions;
- Electronics that spark, start fires, and cause burns;
- Appliances that cause lacerations of fractures;
- Children’s toys that have lead, cadmium, or other toxins that delay brain development
- Unstable furniture that can fall on top of people and cause fractures or lacerations; and
- More.
Contact a Roanoke Attorney About Your Class Action Claim Questions
If you or a loved one has been harmed due to a defective product, you may want to individually seek compensation from the company or it may be worth starting or getting involved in a class-action lawsuit. The Roanoke class action attorneys at MichieHamlett can help answer your questions about what steps are involved and what would be in your best interest. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
