Honolulu Defective Products Lawyer

Experienced Honolulu Lawyers Handling Defective Product and Dangerous Drug Cases

Honolulu Defective Products AttorneyShim & Chang’s defective product attorneys have assisted numerous clients affected by faulty products and hazardous drugs. In today’s world, we’re surrounded by manufactured goods—from the cars we drive to our kitchen appliances, and even the medications and foods we consume. Hawaii law holds manufacturers and distributors accountable for defects that cause consumer injuries. As Honolulu defective product lawyers, our firm is here to address any questions you may have about defective products.

CASES OF DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS

A product may become dangerous due to a manufacturing defect, a design flaw, or inherent yet not immediately obvious risks that necessitate consumer warnings. Our experienced Honolulu personal injury attorneys have the expertise to represent victims in a wide range of product liability cases. Here are just a few examples of the types of product liability claims we have successfully handled in the past:

  • Our client was doing laundry at a Laundromat. As she opened the washing machine door to retrieve her laundry after it had stopped, the machine unexpectedly restarted, trapping and fracturing her arm. This incident resulted in the loss of use of her arm. Shim & Chang engaged an expert to inspect the machine, discovering a malfunctioning microswitch in the door that failed to prevent the machine from starting while the door was open.
  • In another washing machine incident, our client’s daughter was doing laundry at home and tragically found dead shortly afterward. The medical examiner concluded that she had been electrocuted. Our expert determined that the washing machine’s grounding wires had failed, allowing the control panel to become energized due to water and machine vibrations.
  • Escalators can be hazardous products. We’ve represented many children who suffered amputations or disfigurement from getting their hands and fingers caught in the escalator steps and handrail return.

DANGEROUS DRUG CASES

Medications can lead to serious harm or death if they are defective or if warnings about side effects and risks are insufficient. Patients can also be at risk if a doctor prescribes a medication incorrectly or in excessive amounts.

The seasoned legal team in Honolulu from Shim & Chang represented the families of three infant boys who were prescribed a steroid for an extended period. The drug manufacturer, among the world’s largest, marketed the steroid aggressively, claiming it was safe for children even for minor issues like a runny nose. However, the company failed to warn about the risks of prolonged use.

Our clients’ sons received this steroid daily for more than two years. When they became severely ill, the hospital treating them uncovered the doctor’s gross negligence in prescribing the steroid and the drug company’s responsibility. The boys suffered deformities, excessive hair growth, fragile skin and blood vessels, and dangerously high blood pressure. Although they were eventually taken off the medication, the damage was irreversible. Two of the boys sustained brain injuries, and tragically, one died from a brain aneurysm.

It took several years, but we successfully reached a settlement for the families.

Explosions with Household Appliances

Do You Have a Bomb Hiding in Your Basement or Garage?
You may be surprised to know that common household products which you keep in your basement or your garage could not only cause a fire, they can also cause an explosion. Fire statistics show that 160,910 fires per year start with the ignition of a flammable or combustible liquid, resulting in an estimated 454 deaths, 3,910 injuries, and $1.5 billion in property damage per year.

What are Some of the Household Products Usually Found in Garages and Basements?
The following products which people frequently store or use in their garage or basement can ignite or explode if next to a heat, spark, or flame source:

  • Kerosene, oil, and gasoline
  • Cleaning solvents
  • Paints
  • Thinners
  • Adhesives
  • Propane

What Causes a Flammable Gas Fire or Explosion to Occur?
Many of the household items mention above can leak or have vapors that are easily ignited if stored or used next to an open heat source, spark or flame. This situation can easily become a ticking time bomb.

Appliance Safety 101

Home appliances make our lives easier and more convenient, but they can also be a safety hazard. Every year, thousands of people are injured or even killed due to home appliance accidents. Flammable liquids and gasses can easily be ignited by common household appliances such as clothes dryers, water heaters, stoves, ovens, grills, and even refrigerators.

That’s what happened to the family of one of our clients. They had purchased an electric water heater and had it installed in their garage. As there was no warning label on the outside of the water heater instructing of a potential flammable fire danger, a propane tank for a BBQ grill was stored in the same vicinity.

Unknown to our clients was the additional fact that every time the water heater’s thermostat turns on or off, a powerful electric arc is generated. The heater did not have an electric spark warning label on the outside. Nor was the water heater’s thermostat air tight to prevent flammable vapor incidents.

In this case, the propane tank leaked just before the water heater turned off. The spark from the heater’s thermostat ignited the propane gas, resulting in a massive explosion that killed our clients’ daughter and granddaughter and destroyed their home in a matter of minutes.

It was our knowledge of this explosion risk and defects in the heater’s design and warning labels that led to the eventual resolution of the claim. If your family member is injured or killed because of an appliance defect, let our knowledge and experience help you obtain compensation for your family, and at the same time, hold the appliance manufacturer accountable so it doesn’t happen again to someone else’s family.

Talk to a Honolulu Attorney About Defective Products & Dangerous Drugs

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective product or dangerous drug anywhere in Hawaii, please contact Shim & Chang for a free initial consultation at our Honolulu office. We are not only experienced, but we have also taken on some of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, the largest drug companies, major industry manufacturers of escalators and elevators, and major manufacturers of appliances and other products.