It seems like once a week on the news you’re hearing about another product that is being recalled because of safety issues. Unfortunately for many, by the time the recall is issued they’ve already suffered an injury. Even if there’s no recall out for a certain item, you can still pursue a defective product claim if you were injured due to a design issue. Below, we explain how to go about preparing for your defective product lawsuit in Minnesota.
What To Bring To The Initial Consultation
The first thing you’re going to want to do, other than seek immediate medical attention, is to consult with a defective product lawyer. At Hey Workers, we’ve handled numerous defective product claims and can help get you the compensation you deserve. So you’ll want to set up an initial consultation to go over the basics of your case, but how can you best prepare for that meeting? Here’s what you should do.
1. Bring The Defective Product – If possible, bring the defective product with you to the meeting with the lawyer. We understand if it’s an industrial-sized machine and you can’t bring it in, but if it was something that you can fit in your car and carry to the meeting, bring it with you so we can get a better idea of what happened. If you can’t bring it in, try to take pictures of the machine and bring them with you to this meeting.
2. Proof of Purchase – If the defective product is one that you bought, try to bring in the proof of purchase if you still have the receipt. If you don’t have the original receipt, try to look through bank records or credit card transactions to pinpoint the purchase. This is helpful if you have it, but not all that problematic if you don’t.
3. Incident Report – If the accident happened at work, you probably had to fill out an incident report. Bring a copy of this report to your first meeting. If it happened in your free time, you’ll be expected to recount the events to your lawyer. Some people find it helpful to write down important details while they are still fresh in their mind so they don’t forget to bring them up to their lawyer during their meeting.
4. Medical Reports – Assuming you received medical attention following the defective product injury, bring a copy of the doctor’s report or any medical evaluations that are relevant to your case. Also bring a list of services rendered by the medical center, as you can get compensated for these expenses.
5. Notes About Contact With Manufacturer – Finally, if you’ve contacted the company to talk to them about the injury, or you’ve found out that there’s an active recall going on, bring all this information to the initial meeting. Your lawyer is going to want to learn about conversations and correspondence you’ve had with the manufacturer so they can strengthen your case.
If you bring all five of these things to your meeting with a defective product lawyer, we’re confident your case will be off to a strong start. To talk to a law firm about your options after a defective product injury, reach out to the experienced lawyers at Hey Workers.
