Maine Injury Lawyer Blog
No matter where you live, you probably have a ceiling fan in at least one room of your home. Given how common ceiling fans are in all kinds of residences, from houses to apartments to studios, you probably do not give them a second glance when entering a room. In the event that a ceiling fan is defective, however, and hurts someone or damages property while spinning because of the manufacturer or a design flaw, you may be able to recover damages in a Maine product liability lawsuit.
According to a recent news article, more than 190,000 ceiling fans have been recalled after the blades detached. Flying blades, the Consumer Product Safety Commission claimed, could cause injury and damage property for unsuspecting consumers. Of the 80,000 sold to consumers in the U.S. and Canada, there have been 47 reports of blades detaching from the fans, with two of them involving blades hitting people and four involving property damage. The Consumer Safety Commission has recommended that all consumers immediately stop using the fans, especially if they notice unusual blade movement or uneven gaps that appear between the body of the fan and the blades. Further, consumers can contact the distributor of the fans for a replacement free of charge.
If you are a Maine consumer who was injured by a ceiling fan, you may have a product liability claim. When you purchase any product, there are promises, otherwise known as implied warranties, made between the manufacturer of the product and the seller. Consumers receiving a product that is fit for the purpose for which it was sold and not defective, for example, is one of those warranties. Thus, when someone is injured because the product fails to deliver on those warranties, then both the seller and the manufacturer could be responsible for any injuries that occur to the consumer.
When product liability claims arise in Maine, the person who suffers injury from the product is not always the same person who purchased the product in the first place. Thus, any consumer who could be classified as a reasonably expected or probable user of the product could bring a products liability claim if they are injured. Maine law further requires that the manufacturer and seller of products cannot limit the implied warranties discussed previously for consumers, including remedies for when these warranties are not delivered.
In Maine, there are straightforward and complex products liability claims. In straightforward claims, it usually involves something simple, like purchasing a product from the grocery store and getting sick because the product is spoiled or includes bad ingredients. Complex claims, however, typically include products that are defectively designed or manufactured. If the ceiling fans that were recalled, for example, were designed defectively by the manufacturer, then they would qualify as a complex claim.
Do You Need a Maine Products Liability Lawyer?
If you or someone you know has been recently injured by a defective product, contact the attorneys at Peter Thompson & Associates. Our lawyers have years of experience representing clients in all sorts of personal injury and Maine product liability claims and will advocate tirelessly on your behalf to recover the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free initial consultation today, contact us at 1-800-804-2004.