Most of us expect to be safe in our homes and most of us would agree that individuals have a reasonable expectation of safety in their homes. The reality, however, is that sometimes consumers are injured by items in their homes such as household appliances and household electronics. Consumer products can lead to harm from which victims may suffer physical, financial, and emotional damages.
The product recall process seeks to keep consumers safe from dangers consumers' products may pose to unsuspecting consumers. A recall was recently announced for Sears Kenmore electric oven ranges due to a potential shock hazard. According to the details of the recall, a heating element that is part of the range can fail to properly adhere to the smooth cooktop which may result in consumers being shocked.
The recall advises consumers who own one of the freestanding ranges to immediately discontinue use of the appliance and contact Sears for a free inspection and repair of the defect if necessary. The ranges were manufactured by Electrolux and sold at Sears and Kmart stores during a specified period of time.
There are a variety of parties that may be responsible when a consumer has been harmed by a dangerous or defective consumer product. Among those that may be responsible to the victim for the damages suffered include the manufacturer of the product; the party that manufactured component parts of the product; the party responsible for assembling or installing the product; the wholesaler of the product; or the retailer of the product who directly sold it to the consumer.
Victims harmed by consumer products are thoroughly protected under the law. Because of the reasonable expectation of consumers that they will not suffer harm when using consumer products, the legal process provides extensive protections to victims of dangerous or defective consumer products.
