Many people are harmed every year by faulty home equipment. When you buy a home, you expect all of the equipment in your home to function as intended. You expect your home’s systems to work properly, and you expect your kitchen appliances, yard tools, and other equipment to continue to operate long after the warranty expires.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen.
Despite the reasonable expectations we have as homeowners and consumers, faulty home equipment is a common—and often dangerous—issue. If you are dealing with injuries caused by faulty home equipment, who is responsible? In most cases, there are three primary possibilities.
Determining who (or what company) is responsible for faulty home equipment starts with understanding why the fault happened. Was the equipment faulty when it left the factory? Or, did it fail due to improper installation? Depending on the answers to these questions, the companies that may be responsible include:
Home equipment manufacturers can be held liable for selling defective products. Appliances, yard tools, air conditioners, electrical system components, and other types of home equipment can be deemed defective if:
Defective product cases are governed by Illinois’s product liability laws. These laws hold manufacturers “strictly liable” for selling dangerous products—which means that proof of negligence is not required. In some cases, homeowners may have warranty claims and other types of claims as well. When you hire a lawyer to help you assert your legal rights, your lawyer will evaluate your options and pursue all viable claims on your behalf.
Illinois’s product liability laws also hold retailers responsible for selling defective products. Under the law, any company involved in the chain of distribution can be held liable for selling a defective product. This means that home improvement stores, appliance stores, online retailers, and other businesses can all be held liable in appropriate cases.
Sometimes, home equipment can have issues not because it is defective, but rather because it has been installed improperly. This is a common issue with home appliances (such as ovens, dishwashers, and clothes dryers) as well as HVAC and electrical systems.
If you (or a member of your family) was injured by improperly installed home equipment, the contractor that installed the equipment may be liable. Contractors have a legal duty to perform competent work; and, when they fail to meet this duty, they can—and should—be held accountable.
With these options in mind, what should you do if you think you may have a claim for faulty home equipment in Illinois? As with any type of personal injury claim, there are some important steps you should take as soon as possible. These include:
If you need to know more about filing a claim for injuries caused by faulty home equipment in Illinois, we encourage you to contact us promptly. Our firm has helped the wrongfully injured in Chicago for years. We are committed to helping our clients recover the maximum compensation for their losses due to faulty home equipment.
Don’t face your injuries alone. We’re here to help. Contact the Chicago product liability lawyers at Coplan + Crane today online or at 708-358-8080 to schedule a FREE case evaluation. We welcome clients from across Illinois, including Chicago, Oak Park, Rockford, and other areas. We handle home faulty equipment cases on a contingency basis, which means if we don’t win, you don’t pay.