Product Liability Suits Prompt Segway Recalls
Manufacturers of products have a duty to make sure their goods are safe and they work for their intended purpose without causing injury. When a defective product causes personal injury, the product manufacturer may be held liable in a products liability claim.
Typically in a products liability claim, the consumer of a product must prove that either a design defect, manufacturing error or marketing misrepresentation caused an injury that could have and/or should have been prevented. Recently, the company Segway has been under heat for their transportation product and possible design defects and/or manufacturing errors that have caused consumers harm.
The manufacturer of the two-wheeled standing personal transportation tools, Segway, has recalled their product twice after several people were injured through using the transportation device. Several people have filed products liability lawsuits against the manufacturer, but the product is still thriving in sales.
Two product liability lawsuits were settled out of court for undisclosed amounts this year, and several previous claims against the company were also settled out of court. One of the settled suits involved a young Minnesota boy. I am not aware of any Missouri personal injury attorneys that have filed a Segway case.
In one of the filed cases, a teenager was at an event thrown by his father’s employer when he tried the two-wheel standing transportation tool. The boy was traveling on the device when the product allegedly stopped out of nowhere, jerking the young boy and slamming him forward. He was thrown to the ground and sustained serious personal injuries.
This incident allegedly crushed the boy’s upper and lower jaws, broke his nose and caused other facial injuries, as the boy landed face-first into the ground. This lawsuit was filed after the product was recalled for the second time, but the boy’s family and Segway privately settled the suit.
Often times when people hear of a suit being settled, they don’t understand the important role that a personal injury lawyer plays in the process. Even though a case does not go to trial, lawyers are still typically doing a tremendous amount of work getting the case ready for trial. The attorney still goes through the process of investigating the incident that caused the personal injury and collects all relevant evidence. To get the best settlement possible, experienced personal injury attorneys know they have to work the case up as if they intended to try the case.
Regardless of whether you think you will settle a claim with a company privately or not, it is a good idea to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. By seeking timely legal assistance, you avoid extraneous difficulties; your attorney will have the time to carefully investigate your claim and secure crucial evidence in a timely manner. Time is of the essence in most personal injury cases. Memories fade and evidence has a tendency to disappear.
The Missouri personal injury attorneys at Page//Cagle are experienced in investigating and trying personal injury lawsuits.
If you have any questions or concerns involving a products liability claim or any other personal injury claim questions, the attorneys at Page || Cagle will be happy to discuss your case with you and answer any concerns you may have.
You can contact John Page, a senior partner at Page || Cagle, 24 hours a day at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can email him at john@pagecagle.com or visit www.injuredclient.com for more information.
