On May 1, 2020, Epson issued a recall for the power adaptors sold with Epson scanners. According to the recall, recall number 20-116, the power adapters can overheat, melt, and catch fire; this poses both burn and fire hazards. The recall has affected approximately 314,000 units in the U.S.
The recall includes the power adaptors sold with the Epson V-series scanners (V30, V33, V37, V300, V330, and V370). The power adapters are black and connect the scanners with an electrical outlet. The power adapters have a label with “EPSON” and internal part code “EADP-16CB B” printed.
The scanners with the defective power adapters were sold at Office Depot, Best Buy, Staples, Walmart, and department stores around the country from January 2010 through December 2015; they were sold for prices ranging from $55 to $80.
According to the company, there have been at least 15 reported incidents worldwide in which the power adapter melted or caught fire, resulting in property damage; however, the company claims that no injuries have been reported.
Epson is urging consumers affected by the recall to stop using the power adapters and contact them for a free replacement of the product. Although the suggestion for a replacement is simple enough, affected consumers should think twice before agreeing to a free replacement of the defective power adaptor. Instead of simply contacting the company for a free replacement product, you should explore the legal options available to you.
What can you do if you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with a defective product? If you or a member of your family suffered harm due to a defective product, you might have grounds to sue; specifically, you might have grounds to file a product liability claim. For more information about your right to pursue a product liability claim for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm as soon as possible.
Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including product liability claims. Our lawyers are not afraid to sue companies and hold them accountable for the harm resulting from their defective products. If you are ready to explore your legal options and speak with the experts at our firm, do not hesitate to contact us immediately. Our lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful outcome for your product liability claim and help you recover the compensation that you are owed.
The Burn and Fire Risk
As explained above, the defective power adapter poses a fire and burn risk to consumers. Because the power adapters can overheat, melt, and catch fire, significant damage is possible. If the power adapter catches fire, consumers could suffer burn injuries ranging in severity. Some of the burn injuries could result in significant damage to the skin (which can cause permanent scarring), nerve damage, muscle damage, and ligament damage. Due to the fire, smoke inhalation injuries are also possible. Smoke inhalation could result in internal injuries, oxygen deprivation, loss of consciousness, and death. Without a doubt, property damage is also possible. Regardless of the damages resulting from the defective product, affected consumers might have grounds to take legal action for all the harm suffered.
Product Liability – You Have the Right to Sue
Do you have the right to sue for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered associated with a defective product? Depending on the details surrounding the incident and the harm suffered, you might have grounds to sue – that is, you might have grounds to file a product liability claim. To be able to file a product liability claim after being harmed by a defective product, all elements of the concept of product liability must be present.
What is product liability? Based on the concept of product liability, all companies owe their consumers a duty of care. Companies have the duty to ensure that all their products are completely safe for consumers to use. They must test and inspect their products to ensure that they are able to test and identify the hazards present in their products (before making them available to consumers). When companies breach their duty of care towards their consumers, they are not only making defective products available to the public but also putting their consumers at risk of injury.
Defective products can lead to incidents, which can directly lead to harm. When a defective product directly contributes to the harm that a consumer suffers, the company that made the defective product available for consumers could be held accountable based on product liability. In other words, affected consumers and their families might have grounds to pursue claims.
If all elements of product liability are present in your specific situation, you might have grounds to file a product liability claim. If you would like to learn more about product liability and your right to sue, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers are ready to aggressively fight for your right to sue and receive compensation after being harmed by a defective product.
You Could Recover Compensation
Based on the details surrounding the incident (and the harm that you or a member of your family suffered), you might be eligible to recover monetary compensation upon reaching a successful claim outcome. What could you recover? How much compensation could you be eligible to receive? Although every claim is different, some claimants could be eligible to recover compensation for some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive, do not hestiate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm immediately. Our lawyers will evaluate your claim and help you understand the specific compensation that you could receive upon reaching a successful outcome to your claim.
Are you ready to discuss the possibility of pursuing a claim with the experts at our firm? When you allow the product liability lawyers at Normandie Law Firm to handle your claim, you can trust that our lawyers will relentlessly fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available. Our lawyers will not rest until you recover the maximum amount of compensation available for your claim. Whether our defective product attorneys have to take your claim to trial to reach a verdict or aggressively negotiate to reach a settlement, you can trust that our lawyers will ensure that you are rightfully compensated.
What Should You Do?
When consumers are harmed by a defective product, there are a number of things that they must do to ensure that they can pursue a claim against the company that negligently contributed to the harm suffered. However, it is often difficult for affected consumers to act appropriately – mostly due to a lack of information. What should you do after being harmed by a defective product?
If you or a member of your family suffered harm due to a defective product, you should consider doing the following:
- Take photos of the injuries suffered
- Seek medical care immediately
- Take photos of the defective product
- Take photos of any property damage caused by the defective product
- Get all property damage professionally evaluated
- Contact the company to report the defect and all harm suffered
- Never agree to a replacement product
- Never agree to a free repair
- Never agree to a refund (or store credit)
- Never agree to return the defective product
- Speak to witnesses present at the time of the incident (if any were present)
- Gather all medical records
- Gather all purchase records
- Gather records of property damage
- Seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm as soon as possible
Following the steps listed above allows affected consumers to gather the tools necessary to be able to pursue the legal process and eventually reach a successful outcome. For more information about the recommended actions that affected consumers should take after being harmed by a defective product, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm immediately.
The Statute of Limitations
Without a doubt, consumers affected by defective products might have grounds to pursue a claim. Did you know that you could lose your right to sue? Unfortunately, failing to file claims within the appropriate time period can result in losing the right to sue. This is because all claims are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the time that claimants have to sue; if claims are not filed on time, claimants will simply lose the right to sue. How long do you have to pursue your claim? What is the statute of limitations that applies to your product liability claim? In general, product liability claims (in the state of California) are subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants only have two years to pursue their claims. Although a statute of limitations is a strict deadline, exceptions can apply – exceptions that could toll or pause the applicable deadline. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the total length of time that you have to sue, do not hestiate to contact the experts at our firm immediately.
Contact Normandie Law Firm Immediately
Are you interested in learning more about your right to pursue a claim against Epson for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered due to the defective product? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately. At Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers have many years of experience representing injured consumers – fighting for their rights and helping them recover the compensation that they are owed. If you are interested in exploring the legal options available to you after being harmed by a defective product, do not hestiate to contact the experts at our firm immediately. Our lawyers are ready to help you pursue your claim.
To remain accessible to all consumers affected by defective products, our firm offers free legal services. Our free legal services include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our product liability lawyers will be available to provide you with all the information necessary to reach a successful claim outcome – our lawyers will answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Would you like to benefit from our free legal services? If so, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm as soon as possible.
Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee to allow all affected consumers access to our experts and our legal services without ever having to pay any upfront legal fees. Our firm is also based on contingency, meaning that our clients will not have to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you do not win, you will not be required to pay anything.
