As a senior, you may come across lots of advice on how to be a safer driver or ensure your health care providers do you no harm. While these are certainly relevant subjects, they are not the only types of personal injury sources you are susceptible to.
Another is product liability, which occurs when a product harms you due to an unsafe design, improper manufacturing or poor labeling/instructions. The following are only three examples of how defective products may hurt you.
1. Malfunctioning automobile parts
You can follow all the tips on safe driving, but it will do you little good if your vehicle is unsafe. Your tires may blow out, your brakes cease working or your airbag not deploy, leading to severe danger. Take your car in for regular maintenance at a quality auto service center to increase the chances that a mechanic will not use dangerous parts and will find any that may already be present.
2. Harmful prescription drugs
You may be worried about a missed diagnosis from your doctor or an error by a surgeon, but have you taken any thought to the medicines you use on a daily basis? You may receive a prescription for a drug you are allergic to, that is not meant to treat your illness or that you should not take with your other medicines. The dosage may be incorrect, or the drug may cause dangerous side effects. Know what you are taking and do not hesitate to ask questions or request a different prescription.
3. Defective medical devices
Your health care providers may have done their jobs up to standard, yet that does not guarantee that the tools and products they use meet the same high quality. You may have a faulty or recalled medical device, such as a pacemaker or artificial hip, that harms instead of helps you. Be aware and notify your provider of any abnormal side effects you experience after receiving a medical device.
Product liability is a serious concern to consider. It results in not only physical consequences but also financial and emotional ones.