Products liability means you are held responsible for the safety and of the products your company produces. You can be anywhere on the supply chain and still ultimately be held responsible for a faulty product. Whether you are a product designer, distributor, or retailer, your name can be brought into the mix when a product fails. Often, these malfunctions are a result of the product being misused by the consumer or due to environmental factors beyond your company’s control. If a product malfunctions and causes injuries or damage, your company will need to demonstrate that you should not be held liable.
Products liability claims insurance is an obvious choice for any business owner, and it should be the first thing your company does to protect itself against potential faulty or malfunctioning products. If you’re taken to court over a products liability claim, your insurance will cover some or all of the costs that arise as a result. However, there are many additional steps you can take to protect your company from these claims by preventing them from happening in the first place. What follows is a list of seven of the easiest things you can do to reduce your odds of facing a products liability claim.
Clean and inspect your equipment on a regular basis.
As a manufacturer, you may have the heaviest burden to ensure the product you create is safe and ready for the market. Your production equipment should be checked frequently to ensure it is functioning as intended.
Ensure product instructions are accurate.
When you tell consumers how to use your product, you want to make sure there’s no room for interpretation. Your product is intended to be used in a specific way; even unintentional misuse is your enemy because it can cause harm to the user and end in a lawsuit. Make sure your customers know the right way to safely use the product.
Include relevant warning labels and ensure they’re easy to read.
Warning labels go hand in hand with product instructions. A lack of relevant warning labels means misuse of your product, which translates to a higher potential for it to cause injuries or damage. Your large, easy-to-read warning labels will illustrate to consumers the importance of using the product as directed.
Inspect your stock regularly for defects.
If you hope to prevent defective products from reaching consumers, you should inspect your current stock at regular intervals. Whether you are a distributor or a retailer, you can cut back on the number of defective products that are sold by conducting regular product inspections.
Utilize a tracking system to follow your products from the factory to the store.
This is important for several reasons. First, a product that’s mishandled during shipping may have a greater chance of malfunctioning later. Second, in the event you need to recall a product, it should be easy to locate at any step of the supply chain, so you can prevent it from reaching consumers.
Check for recalls and remove recalled items immediately.
As a distributor or retailer, you should check for recalls regularly and remove any affected products. If something does go wrong, be proactive. If you’ve been made aware of a defective product that could cause injuries, you need to thoroughly investigate the claims and be forthcoming about your findings. Regardless of the implications, your company can keep its integrity intact by being honest; consumers’ opinion of your brand will bounce back.
Consult an experienced Norristown products liability attorney who can address your concerns.
There is no federal product liability law, so legal proceedings are based on state laws. In Pennsylvania, local attorneys such as the Sherr Law Group (based in Norristown, Pennsylvania) take great care to understand the local laws when facing products liability claims.
Our law firm consists of experienced Norristown products liability lawyers who have worked with companies at every step of the supply chain to protect their assets and reputation against product liability claims. Your Norristown products liability attorney should be able to show that your company has done its due diligence in protecting consumers from harmful products. At the Sherr Law Group, we make it our goal to do just that with each of our clients’ cases.If you’re looking for a Norristown products liability law attorney to help protect your business against liability claims, contact the Sherr Law Group.
