Defective products can affect all areas of all our lives. As well as medical devices, sporting goods, vehicles, and food & lifestyle supplements, the equipment we depend on for our work can also be faulty.*
Defective electrical product claimsElectrical products can make life much easier, but when they fail to function as advertised, they can cause serious injury or even death. If you have been injured by a defective electrical product, you may be entitled to make a claim. Consult your solicitor for expert advice. Faulty e-cigarette claimsWhen e-cigarettes do not work as intended, they can cause serious injury to users. E-cigarettes have become popular as an alternative to smoking, and solicitors are taking an increasing number of personal injury claims relating to defective ones. Although some people believe that e-cigarettes are a healthier option for smokers, faulty e-cigarettes can cause electrical fires, which can result in injury and damage to property. If you’ve been injured because of a faulty e-cigarette, consult an experienced solicitor who could help you make a claim against those responsible and secure financial compensation. Faulty hoverboard claimsHoverboards are also known as Swegways, Swagways, Airrunners or self-balancing scooters. They have been popular gadgets since about 2015, but they have also attracted some controversy. Some have caught fire and even exploded, causing significant injury and damage. If you have been injured as a result of a defective hoverboard, you may be able to secure financial compensation. Manufacturers and retailers of these products have a duty of care to customers to ensure goods offer a reasonable level of safety. A hoverboard that catches fire or explodes through no fault of the consumer cannot be deemed safe, so the manufacturer could be found liable for any injuries caused as a result. A solicitor with experience in defective electrical goods and product liability claims will help you make a successful compensation claim. Defective vehicle injury claimsA defective vehicle could cause a serious accident, resulting in injury or death. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with a defective vehicle, you could be entitled to claim compensation. Sometimes, accidents involving defective vehicles are not caused by the defect itself but made more serious by it. An example is if an airbag deploys incorrectly in a crash. You may also be entitled to compensation for these kinds of accidents. Pursuing a claim after a defective vehicle injury can seem overwhelming, but an experienced solicitor will help you through the process as painlessly as possible. Defective sporting goods injury claimsSporting goods and equipment are designed to help us while we exercise. If items such as gym equipment or bicycles fail to work as they should, serious accidents and injuries may occur. If you have been involved in an accident using defective sporting goods and experienced an injury, you may be able to claim financial compensation for the injuries you’ve suffered. Solicitors help clients with a wide range of defective sporting goods injury claims, so if you have been affected, seek legal assistance. Defective drug and medicine claimsDrugs and medicines are tested repeatedly before any human takes them, even before they are prescribed or sold over the counter. Despite the rigorous testing, drugs do not always work as they are supposed to. If you’ve been injured, become ill, or suffered a deterioration in your condition because of a drug, or if a drug has produced serious, unexpected side effects or did not work because of a defect, you may be able to claim for compensation.
Lariam (Mefloquine) compensation claimsIrish troops were first prescribed Lariam, also known as Mefloquine, when it was given to peacekeepers for a United Nations mission in Eritrea in 2001. The drug is used to prevent malaria, but it is also associated with potential psychological side effects. Troops are now given a choice of medications and are not required to take Lariam. If you’ve been prescribed Lariam and have since suffered psychiatric problems such as anxiety, depression or panic attacks, you could be entitled to compensation. Contaminated blood productsBlood transfusions are an essential element of medical treatment, including treatment after traumatic accidents, surgery, and haemophilia. If blood products are contaminated or the patient receives the wrong blood type, however, serious health consequences can occur. If you’ve received negligent treatment during a blood transfusion or been given a contaminated blood product, you could be entitled to make a claim. Eligible situations may include:
The manufacturers and suppliers of blood products are responsible for preventing contamination and the supply of contaminated products to hospitals for use on patients. Hospitals must ensure the treatment patients receive is necessary and accurate. Defective food & lifestyle supplement illness claimsMany people take food and lifestyle supplements in an effort to improve their health, but they can contain harmful ingredients. If you have suffered illness from a defective food and lifestyle supplement, you may be able to claim compensation. Claims have been made relating to dietary supplements such as:
Get in touch with an experienced solicitor if you are intending to take a claim for problems caused by a food or lifestyle supplement. They will be able to advise you on how to proceed. Defective supplements have been associated with kidney damage, heart attacks, strokes, infertility, liver damage, and jaundice. |
Defective medical device claims
Medical products are subject to thorough testing before they reach a human patient, but some defective devices still reach the market. If you or a loved one have been injured, or suffered a deterioration in an existing condition because of a defective medical device, your solicitor could help you claim compensation. Defective medical device lawyers have helped people claim compensation for injuries caused by:
- Metal-on-metal hip replacement
- DePuy ASR hip replacement
- Knee replacement
- Faulty defibrillator
- Cochlear implant
- Sorin stokert 3T HeaterCooler
Metal on metal hip replacement claims
Metal-on-metal hip replacements were once common for patients requiring a new hip joint, but many of these devices stopped functioning properly much earlier than expected. Metal particles released as the implants wore down over time may cause injury to patients with metal on metal hip replacements. This can have serious consequences, and some patients may require further surgery.
If you or a loved one has been injured because of a defective metal-on-metal hip replacement product, an experienced solicitor may be able to help you claim financial compensation.
DePuy ASR hip replacement claims
DePuy ASR hip systems were widely used for patients requiring hip replacements, with some 93,000 ASR devices implanted worldwide. However, the product was recalled in 2010. If you or someone close to you has been affected adversely as a direct result of a DePuy ASR hip replacement, your experienced solicitor could help you claim financial compensation.
Solicitors can help clients who have suffered with such issues as:
- Pain and loss of mobility requiring revision surgery
- Development of pseudo-tumours and raised blood metal ion levels
- Early revision surgery and possibly further surgery that would not otherwise have been required
- Ongoing pain and restricted mobility after revision surgery, including operative complications
- Instability of the hip because of soft tissue damage, which can result in dislocations
Knee replacement claims
A knee replacement is meant to improve your quality of life and increase your mobility, so when it does not work as intended, it can be upsetting. If your knee replacement is causing further injury and discomfort and you are disappointed by its performance, you may be able to pursue a claim for compensation. Your solicitor may be able to help you with a claim involving:
- Issues caused by the way the knee replacement was fitted
- Faults in the product itself
- Further injury caused by the product, giving you pain, stress or discomfort
- Knee replacement complications that have made further surgery necessary
Faulty defibrillator claims
Defibrillators are devices that use an electric pulse or shock to restore a normal heartbeat. They are implanted to prevent or correct an arrhythmia, a heartbeat that is irregular or that is too slow or too fast. They can also restore a heartbeat if it stops suddenly.
Solicitors have investigated several cases of defibrillator devices not working as they should. These failings can cause unnecessary shocks, which can be painful for the person with the defibrillator. They may also fail to deliver a lifesaving shock if an irregular heart rhythm develops. If you or a loved one have been adversely affected by a faulty defibrillator, an expert solicitor could help you to claim compensation for a faulty defibrillator.
Cochlear implant claims
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help give a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or has severe hearing difficulties. Usually, they improve the recipient’s quality of life, but when cochlear implants do not work properly, they can cause distress due to painful sounds or the need for further surgery to get the implant replaced. In some cases, these issues are caused by the negligence of the implant manufacturer.
If you’ve suffered as a result of defective cochlear implants, your solicitor can help you to pursue a claim for compensation.
Sorin stokert 3T HeaterCooler claims
Patients worldwide are being notified after Sorin Stockert 3T Heater-Coolers used during heart surgery have been linked to possibly fatal infections. Sorin Stockert 3T Heater-Coolers are used to moderate patients’ temperature during heart surgery and other complex surgical procedures. Some of these devices appear to have become contaminated with bacteria, including Mycobacterium chimaera, and transmitted potentially bacterial infections to patients.
Symptoms of M. chimaera infections include:
- Night sweats
- Joint/muscle pain
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Unexplained fever
The bacterium is highly resistant to antibiotics, and further surgery may be needed to replace infected implants. Some 47,000 patients may be at risk of infection following heart surgery using Sorin Stockert 3T Heater-Coolers. Official warnings are being issued to all patients who have undergone valve operations since January 2013 and who may be at risk of contracting the infection. If you have become ill after heart surgery or have received a warning letter from your hospital, your solicitor may be able to help you to pursue a compensation claim.
Other
Defective products can affect all areas of all our lives. As well as medical devices, sporting goods, vehicles, and food & lifestyle supplements, the equipment we depend on for our work can also be faulty.
Defective work equipment claims
When we go to work, we expect the equipment we use to support us to help us do our jobs. Regrettably, this equipment can let us down. When your work equipment is faulty, it can be frustrating. However, it can also be life-threatening.
If you have been injured because of faulty or defective work equipment, the results can be serious. A dedicated solicitor can help you make a faulty equipment claim. They will know what steps your employer should have taken to ensure that the equipment you use at work is safe.
Injuries involving defective work equipment are often caused by:
- Inadequate maintenance/inspection of machinery
- Lack of personal protective equipment
- No proper health and safety assessment
Defective steel toe cap boot claims
Steel toe cap boots are intended to protect employees’ feet at work, and they are usually very effective at this. Examples of relevant settings for steel toe cap boots include construction sites or jobs involving heavy lifting. Your employer has a duty of care to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) that will protect you from injury. If your health and safety is at risk at work, your employer should provide you with suitable steel cap boots. If the boots you are provided with are defective, you may be able to claim.
What is your employer’s duty?
Your employer should ensure that the boots are suitable for the risks involved in your work and inform you of those risks.
If you are not provided with the appropriate boots when you should have been, or if they are not suitable or poorly maintained, you may be able to claim against your employer for any injury you can attribute to the boots.
