Massachusetts Product Liability: Better Safe Than Sorry

Here are two words every consumer needs to remember: product liability. What does this term mean? It means that if you are injured or harmed by using a particular product – be it a defective swimming pool slide, a defectively manufactured car, or a certain kind of food that might have dangerous particles in it — you have the right to sue the manufacturer for product liability. “Product liability” is a legal term, and it’s used interchangeably with “defective products.” Here’s a recent development in Massachusetts in this area of practice:

A Fall River, Massachusetts food manufacturer has recalled 4,000 pounds of soup because consumers apparently found pieces of plastic in various cans of soup. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that soup products that were made by Blount Fine Foods, and which were sold at Wegmans supermarkets in Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, were being recalled for safety reasons.

The following products, which all carried the Wegmans Food Markets private label, are being recalled:

• 16 oz. cups of Chicken and Dumpling Soup
• 16 oz. cups of Gazpacho Soup
• 16 oz. cups of Italian Wedding Style Soup with Meatballs, Tomato Basil with Orzo, Caribbean Black Bean and Lobster Bisque
In Massachusetts, manufacturers are legally obligated to ensure that their products, when used in the intended manner by consumers, will not cause harm. But far too often, manufacturers spend too much money and time on the advertising and marketing of a product, and neglect spending money to make sure the product will be safe for all consumers.

As a Westwood, Massachusetts injury lawyer, I can tell you that it’s a good idea to periodically check the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, above, for safety recalls of food products, as well as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, for recalls and product safety information of non-food products.