Product Recalls Occur Every Day, But Who Pays The Price?
Brian O Sutter
Recalls
Despite the best intentions of product manufacturers and food producers everywhere, recalls can happen. When a defective item causes injury, or a contaminated food causes illness, the items must be recalled in order to protect the masses from further injury or harm. Unfortunately, most recalls don’t occur until people have discovered the problem the hard way. The 2018 Romaine Game
Eating a salad in 2018 has been a risky game. With the massive romaine lettuce recalls, putting a fork into a bowl of greens might lead you to a hospital stay, or at least a few days at home in bed.
The romaine lettuce recall that occurred early this past summer sickened over 210 people in 36 states with 96 hospitalizations, 27 reports of kidney failure, and 5 deaths before it ended in June. The cause was eventually traced back to the canal water in the Yuma growing region.
The current E. coli outbreak associated with romaine lettuce has sickened 59 people in 15 states and Washington D.C., with 23 people being hospitalized. Adams Bros. Farming., Inc. has been identified as the source of this strain of E. coli. Out of caution, the company is now recalling their red and green leaf lettuce, as well as their cauliflower.
Recalls Happen Every Day
Products are recalled all over the U.S. almost every day. As of the 19th, there were 15 consumer products recalled for the month of December. Some examples include:
• On December 4, Foremost recalled shower doors and panels as the pivot hinges could fail, causing the glass door to come out of the frame and pose impact and injury.
• On December 6, Skip Hop recalled convertible high chairs as the legs on the chair could detach from the seat, posing fall and injury hazards to infants and children.
• On December 13, TJX recalled glass and ceramic drawer knobs due to the possibility that they can break or shatter when pulled, causing lacerations.
• On December 18, TerraTrike recalled adult tricycles due to injury hazards as the torque sensor in the wheel can activate unexpectedly, causing the trike to power forward and pose a crash.
This list does not include recalls on food, vehicles, or child safety seats.
After all of these illnesses and injuries, who pays the price? More often than not, it’s the consumer who suffers the consequences. Thankfully, there are product safety laws in place to protect the victims who have been injured or become ill as a result of a product that has been recalled.
Report Defects And Protect Yourself
If you or a loved one has been the victim of an unsafe product, the first step is to protect your health and seek medical attention for the injury or the illness.
Next, report the defective product as soon as possible to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):
• Online: https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC/Contact-Information/
• By email: hazard@cpsc.gov
• By phone: 1-800-638-2772, extension 650
• Via fax: 1-800-809-0924
• By mail: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Injury Report, Washington, DC 20207
Finally, protect your legal rights and contact an experienced attorney to help you navigate your claim. Thanks to product safety laws, you have the right to seek compensation from the responsible party. The seller, manufacturer, or the distributor can be held accountable based on the defect type.
Knowing who to contact and how to proceed is what your attorney is there for. Protect yourself and help keep others safe by reporting and holding the proper party accountable for the negligence that has occurred.