Recent estimates suggest that nearly 7% of all personal injury lawsuits are related to product liability. In the United States, product liability law is a mix of common law, federal and state regulations. It means that states such as Massachusetts are flexible in creating and interpreting laws related to defective products.
Since there is no federal product liability common law, consumers often blame large companies for ignoring consumer complaints about product safety. Besides potential loopholes in the law, the burden is on the plaintiff to prove that the product is defective. They may also need evidence that the injury is caused by the design, manufacturing or the failure to warn consumers.
Complaints against Amazon
Responding to an increase in consumer complaints against defective products sold on Amazon, House Democrats from New Jersey and Illinois asked the company to clarify its stance on product safety. In their statement, the House Energy and Commerce chair and the Consumer Protection & Commerce Subcommittee chair Democrats highlighted a recent CNN report related to AmazonBasics products.
According to the CNN report, there are at least 1,500 customer complaints related to more than 70 malfunctioning AmazonBasics products. Instead of taking strict action to safeguard consumer safety, Amazon just removed the product listing from the website. Many of the reviews had a picture of the product catching fire, melting and smoking. Some of the AmazonBasics products had exploded, which created a potentially hazardous environment.
A representative of Amazon replied to the statements indicating that Amazon thoroughly investigates such matters and takes quick action to remove the product or change its design. Regardless of the official comment, House Democrats have asked Amazon to clarify its product oversight regulations and details on the product recall.
If you are a victim of a faulty product, you should collect evidence, and you may want to call a personal injury lawyer. The lawyer may act on your behalf to negotiate with the liable party for a settlement covering your damages.
