What Are the Differences Between Design and Manufacturing Defects?

When something causes you injury, whether it’s a household product, medical device, or vehicle, there are a few different ways in which it could have become defective. In product liability cases some of the most common issues have to do with either a flawed design or defective manufacturing. If you or someone you love was injured by a faulty product, it is important that you understand how that flaw came to be in order to hold the responsible party liable for the damage they caused.

Defective Design

A product is designed in many stages, starting with blueprints and rough plans, usually undergoing many changes before a final design is decided on. At this point in the process, a design might not adhere to all safety rules applicable to that type of product or material, or it may not be safe in nature. With the set design, the product will then be created and distributed and could be hazardous to consumers.

Proving liability at the design stage means the consumer must show the product was unreasonably dangerous before it was actually made. This means the blueprints or plans must have been potentially hazardous.

Defective Manufacturing

If the error occurs at the manufacturing stage, it means the product was essentially built incorrectly. After the manufacturer is given a safe, effective design, they must then create the product. Mistakes at this stage often include incorrect assembly, missing parts, contamination, or other similar issues with production.

In order to hold the manufacturer liable, the injured consumer must prove that the product’s defect or flaw was caused in the making, not from normal wear and tear.

If you or someone you love was injured by a defective product, it is likely an error was made in either the design or manufacturing. There is also the possibility that the product was marketed incorrectly, or did not exhibit adequate instructions or warning labels. Regardless of the reason for the flaw, if a defective product caused you harm, our attorneys can help.

Contact BD&J to speak with our lawyers about your defective product case.