Product Defects and Public Safety

Near the end of 2010, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission approved a Final Rule that will establish a publicly accessible consumer product safety complaint database. In the spring of 2011, consumers will finally be able to report their own complaints about products and manufacturers and also research products and manufacturers using the internet. In the past, manufacturers controlled the flow of information about their products that appeared in the product safety complaint database. Manufacturers fought the disclosure of information about dangerous products to avoid responsibility for the injuries to consumer victims.

This new Rule is a major victory for consumers. Consumers will now have access to critical product safety information that previously was only available to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The new database will contain reports of injuries caused by dangerous products; manufacturer comments on those reports; recall information and any other important information that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission feels is in the public interest.

Now, almost any member of the public who has knowledge of a product based injury or death will have the ability to report dangerous products to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Those able to report events include health professionals, lawyers, public safety officials, and education and childcare providers. To make a report, the individual will have to submit facts regarding the dangerous product, victim, contact information, a description and date of the incident, the type of incident, and the category of the submitter. Incomplete incident reports will not make it into the public database. The database will go live on March 11, 2011.

Manufacturers strenuously opposed the implementation of this publicly accessible consumer complaint database. Manufacturers allege that it will result in a flood of lawsuits. Safety advocates, public health officials, and the attorneys at Sheridan & Murray contend that it will be a valuable surveillance tool to detect design and manufacturing flaws that result in serious injuries to thousands of Americans each year. By holding manufacturers accountable for dangerous products, they will be forced to improve product safety.

If you have been injured by a defective product, you should contact an attorney experienced in product liability litigation. The trial lawyers at Sheridan & Murray represent victims injured by dangerous products.

Sheridan & Murray—Protecting People