Product-related injuries can cause debilitating complications, disrupt daily life, and take a severe emotional toll on families. The legal system provides clear rules to help victims of product defects recover compensation and hold to account those responsible for their injuries. Winning a personal injury case is feasible in many situations because victims do not ordinarily need to prove manufacturer negligence to receive compensation in court. Victims instead only need to demonstrate that an injury was directly caused by a defective product. Individuals injured as a result of using a product, therefore, should evaluate the wide range of situations where the courts can offer compensation for undue suffering and financial losses.

1. Medical Expenses

The costs associated with product injuries can place a crippling burden on a family’s finances. Depending on the injury, costs can range from thousands of dollars to astronomical expenses that force drastic measures to be taken. High costs are also relevant for victims with insurance since premiums often rise following an accident. Victims of product-related injuries should be sure to keep all receipts, estimates, and insurance paperwork as evidence of the expenses incurred. The total medical costs that a victim and their insurance provider pays can usually be reclaimed in full when defective products can be proven as the cause of an injury.

2. Loss of Income

The total cost of an injury includes not only outgoing expenses that were paid, but also income that was lost while recovering. The courts allow victims to receive compensation for the total amount of income that was lost, and this can include much more than days off from work. Injuries can cause long-term complications that reduce job performance and future career potential. Since victims can claim indirect income losses, considering the full range of losses that can be legally claimed is essential for realizing maximum compensation. Accounting for loss of income can help victims recover more of what they really lost in the aftermath of an injury.

3. Pain and Suffering

The damage to a victim’s life associated with an injury goes well beyond simple financial losses. Pain can be severe, and leave individuals with lifelong trauma from the horrific memory of extreme agony. Individuals can also experience pain that never fully goes away or returns periodically. The courts have established clear rules that allow individuals to recover damages for pain and suffering when their injuries were caused by a defective product. Financial compensation might not make pain go away, but it can help to alleviate the overall burden imposed on individuals who unnecessarily suffer with severe discomfort.

4. Disfigurement

Sometimes the damage from an injury can never fully heal. Furthermore, some injuries can be fixed, but they might require extensive cosmetic procedures that entail astronomical costs that are often difficult to have covered by a health insurance plan. The courts, therefore, allow victims to receive compensation for disfigurement, which is defined as long-term cosmetic damage associated with an injury. Victims can claim the full cost of cosmetic surgery and losses associated with damage to personal appearance. Disfigurement can be embarrassing and interfere with an individual’s ability to live an ordinary life. Individuals who become disfigured as a result of a product-related injury should use the legal system to their advantage to help win back their former life.

5. Disabilities

Disabilities are a common repercussion of product injuries, and they vary widely from moderate disruptions to debilitating complications. Minor disabilities can include twitching, irregular walking, and localized loss of sensation. Even when disabilities are perceived as tolerable, however, manufacturers can still be held liable in the court of law. Most importantly, the courts can offer compensation for chronic disabilities that make ordinary life impossible and challenge an individual’s chances of survival. Victims who win a disability lawsuit can often win both compensatory and punitive damages, so disabled individuals should be sure to talk to a professional attorney to assess their chances of success in a disability lawsuit.

6. Mental Anguish

The total suffering incurred due to an injury from a defective product can include much more than just physical trauma. The psychological impact of an injury can often be devastating and affect an individual’s ability to enjoy or participate in daily life. Victims may go through life with extreme anxiety, depression, or personality disorders. Unfortunately, mental anguish can interfere with a victim’s relationships with other people, including family members, colleagues, and close friends. When the effects of mental anguish can be documented, the courts allow victims to receive financial compensation for mental hardship. Winning compensation for mental anguish can help victims get the financials means to effectively cope with mental suffering after an accident.

7. Loss of Consortium

Victims themselves are often not the only individuals harmed by a product-related injury. Family members and spouses can also experience disruptions to their lives that impose both a financial and emotional burden. Spouses might have to take time off from work to care for a loved one, and children might have to forego extracurricular activities to take care of an injured parent or grandparent. Loved ones might also have to deal with the psychological grief associated with seeing a close loved one experience acute pain or mental anguish. The legal system, therefore, allows a victim’s close family members and spouse to seek damages from a liable manufacturer after a loved one has been wrongly injured by a defective product.

Claiming Compensation

Victims of product defects should understand that there are attainable legal remedies available to help alleviate the financial and emotional costs of unnecessary injuries. Individuals who pursue wrongdoing manufacturers in court, furthermore, also do good for others because they help to increase the incentive for future products to be designed in a safe and ethical way. Working with a seasoned attorney can help to increase the chances of winning a lawsuit, and help victims determine which legal options are most appropriate for their unique situation. Claiming compensation can help put victims on the road to recovery, and help them return to living a better life.

If you have been injured by a defective product, call the Richard Harris Law Firm for a consultation at 702-444-4444.