When harm comes to someone through no fault of their own, they may be owed money. Product manufacturers owe everyone who uses their products a duty of care. That means they've done everything they can to make the product safe. Unfortunately, consumers are hurt by bad products every day regardless of manufacturer efforts. To find out how product manufacturers may owe more than just a duty of care, read on.

What Are Your Damages?

The word 'damages' is meant to cover more than physical or personal property damages. When speaking of personal injury cases, the definition of damages expands to cover every single way you have been harmed because of a faulty product. It covers any financial losses by a victim and more. To get a better idea of what it means, take a look at a list of common damages you might incur after being harmed by a bad product:

1. Whatever physical harm was caused by the bad product, you are entitled to be reimbursed for all medical costs for the treatment. That includes the usual doctor and hospital costs and also surgery, physical therapy, medical goods like wheelchairs, medications, and more.
2. If you sustained damage or loss of a personal item, you should be paid for that item. That includes clothing and accessories, home goods, vehicles, jewelry, tech items like phones and tablets, and more. It should be mentioned that you should also be paid for the faulty item itself.
3. If you had to miss work because of the harm that came to you, you are entitled to be paid back for all lost time. For example, if an instant/multi-cooker exploded and you had to miss weeks of work for medical care, you are entitled to be reimbursed for that loss.
4. The overall negative effect that a harmful product causes is known as pain and suffering. The amount you are eligible to receive depends on your physical injuries. This category spans the way you are challenged to cope with the day-to-day problems that come along with a severe injury.
5. Not all faulty products harm will call for punitive damages. When punitive damages are awarded to a victim, it tends to single out the manufacturer for punishment for some particular reason. Often, the award is ordered when testimony during a trial shows that the company knew about a dangerous product but failed to take steps to fix the problem or to warn consumers about it.

Speak a law office like Kaston & Aberle to learn more about being paid for your product injury.