If you are a business owner in Houston, you know just how damaging litigation can be. This is especially true when it comes to product liability claims, which can serve to impair a business’s potential for success for many years to come. While you can’t completely stop such claims from occurring, there are a number of important steps you can take to greatly mitigate risk and preserve your business.
According to Business.com, it’s essential that you fully comprehend the difference between product defects, which commonly factor into product liability suits. Warning against all potential risks is paramount when advertising a product for consumer use, and failure to do so is considered a marketing defect. Design defects can also play a role, and this entails flaws within the design itself that leads to an unsafe product upon creation. Additionally, defects can occur within the manufacturing phase, which results in a faulty product that may prove harmful during use.
An understanding of the laws protecting consumers can also help a company stave off any possibly damaging lawsuits. In many cases, strict liability is applied, which means that the company responsible for selling or manufacturing a particular product will be considered accountable for any subsequent harm it causes. To this end, a company need not be deemed “at fault” for the release dangerous merchandise in order to be held accountable.
So how can a business prevent defective products from being released in the first place? Openly disclosing any potential risks can have a large impact on future liability suits. This will allow consumers to be properly informed and puts the decision to assume the risk of using a product in their hands. Testing is also crucial. Every step of the design and production process should undergo rigorous testing to ensure a product is free of defects and can be used as intended without harm.