On January 23, 2020, STIHL issued a recall for the STIHL RE90 Pressure Washers. According to the recall, recall number 20-057, the pressure washer’s nozzle can suddenly disconnect from the spray wand when under pressure during normal use; this poses a risk of injury. The recall has affected approximately 16,400 units. The recall specifically involves the spray wand supplied with the STIHL RE 90 Pressure Washers. The affected pressure washer is gray and orange (STIHL RE 90 is printed on the front of the pressure washer). The spray wand measures 15 inches long; it attaches to the spray gun on the pressure washer. The wand can be used with interchangeable nozzles.The pressure washers were sold at authorized STIHL dealers in the country from May 2019 to October 2019; they were sold for approximately $180 each. According to the recall, there have been at least seven reports of the nozzle detaching from the spray wand while the pressure washer was in use; however, no injuries have been reported.
STIHL is urging all affected consumers to stop using the recalled pressure washers and contact them (or an authorized STIHL service dealer) for a free replacement spray wand. If you or your family were affected by the defective product in any way, it is important that you do not follow the suggestions of the company – as doing so could make you lose your right to pursue legal action. Instead, you should seek legal assistance immediately to explore the possibility of pursuing a product liability claim for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered.
If you are interested in exploring the possibility of filing a product liability claim against STIHL, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at Normandie Law Firm at your earliest convenience. Our product liability lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to take action against the company that negligently contributed to the harm that you suffered. Our experienced product liability lawyers are ready to handle your claim, do not hesitate to contact our firm today.
The Risk of Injury is Significant
According to the recall, the pressure washer’s nozzle – located on the spray wand – can disconnect while the pressure washer is in use. The nozzle cannot withstand the pressure coming through the spray wand. The nozzle can disconnect (pushed by a significant amount of pressure) and become airborne. The detached nozzle could strike the user or an unsuspecting bystander. This could result in a number of injuries, including but not limited to ocular injuries, facial fractures, and damaged teeth, for example. Without a doubt, the defect poses a significant danger to consumers and bystanders.
Understanding Product Liability
Could affected consumers take any legal action against the company that released a defective product to the public? Can STIHL be liable for the harm that their consumers suffered? Can companies be held accountable for the harm that their consumers suffer because of their defective products. The answer to these questions is simple – yes. This is based on product liability. Based on product liability, all companies owe their consumers a duty of care. They have the duty to ensure that all their products are completely safe to be used by their consumers. To ensure the safety of their products, they must constantly and thoroughly inspect and test products to check for any potential hazards. This allows companies to identify and address hazards prior to releasing products to consumers. When these companies fail to ensure that their products are safe, they are breaching their duty of care towards their consumers – they are also putting them at risk of injury.
A breached duty of care (defective product) could contribute to an incident, such as the product breaking during use, which can directly result in injuries. As soon as a breach of duty leads to injuries, the companies that negligently made the defective products available to consumers could be found negligent and liable of all harm suffered. What does this mean? This means that consumers who have been harmed by defective products could take legal action against these companies – they could pursue product liability lawsuits for the harm that they suffered.
hat Should You Do?
Many people are simply clueless about the specific actions that they should take after being harmed by a defective product. Since defective products are so common, however, all consumers should have a general idea of the steps that they should follow after suffering any type of harm due to a defective product; taking the appropriate steps will ensure that affected consumers could hold these companies accountable for their negligent actions.
What should you do? What are the steps that you should follow? Consider the following:
- Seek medical attention immediately
- Take photos of all physical injuries suffered
- Take photos of the defective product
- Do not tamper with the defective product in any way – do not attempt to repair it yourself
- Contact the company to report the defect, the incident, and the harm that you suffered
- Do not agree to a free repair, free replacement or a refund/credit
- Gather all records relevant to the purchase of the defective product
- Gather all medical records
- Gather any surveillance video that could have captured your incident (if available)
- Seek the expertise of a product liability lawyer immediately
Following these steps allows you to gather the tools necessary to eventually pursue a claim to hold the liable company accountable for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered. If you would like to learn more about the importance of following these steps, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
You Could Sue and Recover Compensation
Could you and your family be eligible to recover any form of monetary compensation after being harmed by a defective product? The answer to this question depends on the specific details of your claim. Because of that, you should seek legal representation immediately for more information on the potential compensation that you could be eligible to recover. Depending on the details surrounding your claim, you could be eligible to recover monetary compensation for some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
- Punitive damages
If you would like to learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive if your product liability claim against STIHL or any other company reaches a successful outcome, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm as soon as possible. Our defective product attorneys are ready to evaluate your claim and fight for your right to recover the maximum amount of compensation available for your claim. Our lawyers are dedicated to helping all affected parties recover the compensation that they are owed.
Understand the Deadline that Applies to Your Claim
Without a doubt, you could pursue a claim and could even recover monetary compensation if your claim reaches a successful outcome. Do you understand the importance of filing your claim promptly? Unfortunately, many people are not aware that they could lose their right to sue if they fail to file their claims within the appropriate length of time.
All claims, including product liability claims arising from the harm suffered because of defective products, are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations establishes the length of time that affected parties have to file their claims. If claimants fail to file within the appropriate length of time, they will lose their right to sue. Claims are subject to strict deadlines to prevent claimants from sitting on their claims too long, leaving defendants at a disadvantage.
What deadline applies to your claim? In California, product liability are subject to a two-year statute of limitations; this gives claimants only two years to file their claims. If they fail to file within the two years allowed by the applicable statute of limitations, they will lose their right to sue. However, based on the details of your claim (such as the victim’s age or mental capacity, for example), certain exceptions could apply – affected the time that you have to sue. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the statute of limitations that applies to your claim, do not hesitate to contact our experts at Normandie Law Firm at your earliest convenience.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
If you or a member of your family suffered any sort of harm because of a defective product, you should consider the possibility of pursuing a claim with the assistance of a product liability lawyer at Normandie Law Firm. Normandie Law Firm is a firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – always representing the best interests of our clients. Our lawyers are ready to handle your claim and help you recover the compensation that you deserve. If you would like to discuss your claim with the defective product attorneys at our firm, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers are ready to represent you and guide you towards a successful claim outcome.
When you contact our firm, you will find that our lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to pursue your claim. Our firm is committed to remaining accessible for all parties affected by defective products; therefore, we offer free legal services. The free legal services that we offer include both free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Our lawyers will provide you with the information and guidance that you need to either start or redirect your claim against the company that negligently contributed to the harm that you suffered. If you would like to benefit from our free legal services, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience.
Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our law firm is also strictly based on contingency; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay any legal fees until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you are ready to discuss your product liability claim with the experts at Normandie Law Firm, contact us today.
