Ohio consumers may not have to look too far to discover a dangerous product, or a story about how a family was affected by a recalled product. Take, for instance, the family that suffered the death of a baby fatally injured by his own baby monitor. Those who have been injured by a dangerous product and are pursuing a product liability claim might be surprised to learn how few recalls ever actually reach consumers.
A video baby monitor intended to let parents view a child while he or she sleeps in a crib can present a serious choking hazard to young infants. Despite the family following the instructions provided by the company, a 6-month-old child became entangled in the cord and died. His death was one of seven in total that spurred the company to issue a recall before putting the product back on the market with new warning tags.
Despite recalls like the one involved with the baby monitor, almost 95 percent of recalled items stick around in people’s homes. Unfortunately, most consumers are simply unaware that a product has been recalled. Some believe that companies don’t put enough effort into communicating what products may be dangerous. Others think that this disparity between companies issuing recalls and consumers that remain unaware could be bridged through the use of social media.
When a company puts minimal effort into issuing a recall, many Ohio consumers can remain at serious risk for an injury from a defective or dangerous product. When an injury or other type of substantial damage occurs because of a defective product, victims retain the right to pursue compensation against a manufacturer and others in the supply chain through a product liability claim. If successfully litigated, victims can receive valuable recourse that may be applied to medical bills, pain and suffering and applicable damages.
Source: abc11.com, “I-Team: Unsafe recalled products remain in many homes“, Steve Daniels and Silvia Gambardella, Nov. 21, 2014
