Personal injury attorney Brian T. Allen offers an answer to the question:

Q: How can I protect my family against dangerous consumer products?

A:  This question can be answered with three words: scientia potentia est.  According to those that speak Latin, these words roughly translate to “knowledge is power,” an aphorism never more true than when applied to the issue of consumer product safety.  With the explosion of consumer product data that has become available over the last decade, it can be difficult to know where to seek reliable information.  One of the best sources of consumer product safety information is the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

According to the CPSC, “Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually.”  In 1972, the CPSC was created and given the charge of “protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death” caused by consumer products ranging from toys and cribs to power tools and cigarette lighters.  The commission is currently comprised of five Commissioners appointed by the President and has an annual budget of $118 million with 548 full time employees located all across the country.  (September 2014 Semiannual Report to Congress of the Office of the Inspector General).  Boiled down to its essence, the goal of the CPSC is to collect information about unreasonably dangerous products and develop safety standards.  It also has public outreach/education responsibilities and enforces compliance by manufacturers through the use of product recalls and monetary fines.

The best place to go in order to find reliable, searchable consumer product information is CPSC’s website: www.cpsc.gov.  Once there, a person seeking specific information can sign up for news alerts and updates about a variety of consumer product safety issues.  Additionally, injuries caused by dangerous consumer products can be reported to the CPSC through their information portal located at www.safterproducts.gov.  At the same website, a person can also search for safety information about a specific consumer product.  Lastly, www.recalls.gov is another helpful website that includes information about recalls of not only consumer products but also food, drugs and traffic safety issues.

Like with most things in life, the more you know about dangerous consumer products, the better prepared you will be to avoid injury or to know how to seek compensation after an injury has occurred.  If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a dangerous product, whether recalled or not, call attorney Brian Allen at (480) 461-5335 or contact him at bta@udallshumway.com to discuss the possibility of bringing a product defect claim.

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It does not create and attorney-client relationship and should not be construed as legal advice.  If you have any questions, feel free to call attorney Brian Allen at (480) 461-5335 or contact him at bta@udallshumway.com.