When faulty electrical appliances cause harm, the manufacturer should be held responsible. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to do this. Building a case against a manufacturer and proving negligence can be a heavy lift, which is why you should talk to a Monmouth County product liability lawyer from our firm.
Can Faulty Electrical Appliances Cause Serious Injuries?
Faulty electrical appliances can cause many types of injuries, from burns to electrical shocks. Depending on the type of appliance and what kinds of components it uses, it’s not uncommon for a malfunctioning device to cut someone. These appliances can even start fires that burn homes to the ground while causing injuries from smoke inhalation.
When Can I Sue Over Faulty Electrical Appliances?
When things do go wrong with an appliance, you need to show that a defect caused the problem. Then you need to show that this defect is why you were injured. Finally, you need to have used an appliance for its proper purposes and you cannot have ignored safety warnings. If you did something dangerous all on your own, you’re not going to be able to successfully sue.
When you can sue the manufacturer for damages, your compensation should help address costs like:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
What Kinds of Defects Can Faulty Electrical Appliances Have?
It’s also important to note that there are different types of product defects that can serve as the basis for a lawsuit. In cases like these, the main categories are:
Design defects: The product was just designed poorly. A good example of this would be an appliance that melts if it gets too hot.
Manufacturing defects: The design was fine, but something went wrong during the manufacturing process. Maybe there was a problem with a safety feature so it ended up not working as intended, leading to injury.
Defects in warning and instructions: The appliance did not come with adequate instructions or warning labels, and that caused a dangerous situation.
Could I Be Awarded Punitive Damages?
In some cases, an additional type of damages known as “punitive damages” can be awarded. As the name suggests, these are meant to punish a defendant for particularly egregious behavior. If it can be determined that the manufacturer acted recklessly or knows that the faulty electrical appliances could hurt somebody, being awarded punitive damages is a possibility.
New Jersey does cap these awards though. You can get up to five times the amount of compensatory damages or $350,000, whichever is more. So if you were awarded $100,000 in compensation, you could receive up to $500,000 in punitive damages. If you were awarded a smaller amount, say $40,000, then the cap would be $350,000 because that’s more than five times your compensatory damages.
Talk to Our Legal Team
If you were hurt by a faulty appliance, you may have legal options. Contact Falcon Law Firm and ask to schedule your free consultation. We can tell you more about the potential value of your case.
