The unfortunate truth, that product liability lawyers know, is that some household products have malfunctioned, or performed in some unintended and unexpected way that has resulted in injuries. In extreme cases, this has even caused death.
When incidents like this occur and claims are filed by product liability lawyers the manufacturer may be found liable. That means that you, as the consumer, could be entitled to some form of compensation.
Today we’re diving into several examples of situations in which manufacturers were deemed liable by the legal system for household products that malfunctioned and caused injuries.
PoliGrip Denture Cream
PoliGrip Denture Cream is a product made by Glaxo Smith Kline. When it was originally manufactured, it contained significant amounts of zinc. Zinc is a substance that is usually beneficial to the human body in very small amounts, but when too much is absorbed into the bloodstream, it can be very harmful.
To accumulate to the point where the level of zinc in your body becomes harmful, it would take years – and that’s precisely what happened for hundreds of people who used this product regularly and for a long time.
A class-action lawsuit was filed, which claimed that the manufacturers did not provide adequate warning to consumers about the potential harm that might befall them if the product was used over an extended length of time.
Many of the claimants in the suit experienced some combination of paralysis, loss of bowel control, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, blood disorders, headaches, and numbness in the extremities. In 2010, the manufacturers were faced with upwards of 100 lawsuits, which were eventually settled.
Glaxo Smith Kline still makes PoliGrip Denture Cream, but it now contains no zinc whatsoever.
Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder
Ever since the 1960s, evidence has been accumulating that the talcum powder component in this baby powder was linked to the development of various types of cancer. This was likely due to the fact that the talc was found to be tainted with asbestos.
Baby powder was explicitly marketed to women as an essential childcare product and one that could be used as a cooling agent, as well as a deodorant.
A lawsuit was filed in 2018 by product liability lawyers, which claimed that Johnson & Johnson was aware that their baby powder had a direct link to ovarian cancer and that the company actively attempted to squelch negative studies and reports.
The lawsuit further alleged that the manufacturers invented their own counter studies, which included bogus favorable results, pre-determined by the company. The manufacturers lost the lawsuit and were compelled to pay 22 women who brought the suit against them an amount in excess of $4.7 billion.
All 22 of these women had developed ovarian cancer from using the product and provided convincing evidence that their disease was directly attributable to Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder.
Just For Men Hair Dye
This brand of hair dye was proven to trigger a number of adverse allergic reactions in users who regularly purchased the product.
When applied to the facial area or on the hair of the facial area, it sometimes caused side effects that were either long-term or even permanent. Some of the side effects included vertigo, permanent skin discoloration, swollen skin, eye irritation, and burns or rashes.
The component that likely triggered all the side effects is known as p–phenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical that has been shown to have a strong link to asthma, kidney failure, and skin irritations.
There have even been a few cases where this chemical caused people to go into shock or caused an outright fatality. A number of lawsuits are still ongoing concerning this hair dye product, and it appears likely that manufacturers will ultimately be found liable.
3M Earplugs
Between 2003 and 2015, the United States military issued earplugs to soldiers, which have been strongly linked to hearing impairment and, in some cases, hearing loss.
While the military officials were unaware of the adverse effects of these earplugs, the same cannot positively be said of the manufacturers. Product liability lawyers discovered that the earplugs were too short to be installed in the ears correctly, and that meant they were too loose to provide any benefit to the user.
A lawsuit was brought against 3M, claiming that the company knew of the defects as early as the year 2000 but did nothing to overcome the issue. As a result of the lawsuit, the company was forced to pay over $9 million to those who had suffered any hearing loss or impairment as a result of using these earplugs.
Oral Sodium Phosphate
This is a product that is sometimes used to purge the bowels and to detoxify an individual. This is often done prior to a colonoscopy and is also sometimes used as a prerequisite for other types of surgeries.
In 2014, the FDA announced that some products which contained oral sodium phosphate could be harmful and sometimes even deadly.
As it turns out,dehydration is highly likely whenever an individual consumes more than a standard dose of oral sodium phosphate. This, in turn, can lead to significant health problems such as arrhythmias, severe kidney damage or failure, and even death.
There are a number of companies that have manufactured and sold products containing oral sodium phosphate. If you made your purchase from a company that did not adequately warn you about possible side effects, you could be entitled to compensation.
Product Liability Lawsuits
It’s inevitable that all products will wear out with time and frequent use. Some products, however, don’t perform correctly even when new. In these cases, consumers may be more prone to injury in the case of a malfunction because they weren’t anticipating performance issues with a newly purchased item.
Then, there are times when a product is manufactured that already includes defects. In some instances, the company still proceeds with selling the defective product to the public. Sometimes this happens unknowingly, but unfortunately, it also happens when the powers that be have full knowledge of the issue.
If you have suffered some kind of harm or injury as a result of using a household product, you may be able to receive compensation. This is especially true if the manufacturer has not provided adequate warning of the potential dangers associated with using the product.
If a poorly-performing product caused injury to you or a family member, you have the option of filing a claim with the help of a product liability lawyer. A successful suit can pay for any medical care resulting from injuries and any ongoing care such as physical therapy. You may even be entitled to compensation for lost wages if your injuries kept you out of work for any length of time.
Contact a Product Liability Lawyer in Dallas, Texas
If you decide to consider filing such a lawsuit, make sure you choose a legal firm with a solid track record of producing positive results for clients with similar cases. An experienced Dallas product liability lawyer, like those found at The Law Offices of Tim O’Hare, can walk you through the process from start to finish, eliminating at least some of the stress in an already stressful time.
If you or a family member has been injured by a household product, contact our Dallas law office.
