Every day, we rely on a wide range of household products to make life more convenient, easy, and safe. From kitchen appliances and cleaning supplies to children's toys and personal care items, we trust that these products are designed and manufactured with consumer safety as a top priority. Unfortunately, defective household products continue to cause serious injuries to New York residents, with some cases leading to devastating consequences.
Were You Injured Because Of A Defective Household Product In New York?
CONTACT USOur Recent Case Results
Settlement
Jury Verdict
Settlement
Settlement
If you've been injured by a defective household product, you may be wondering whether you have legal options for compensation. The good news is that New York offers some of the strongest consumer protection laws in the nation, providing multiple avenues for injured consumers to seek compensation from manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Recent multimillion-dollar settlements against major companies show that New York courts take product safety seriously and are willing to hold corporations accountable when their products harm consumers.
Understanding New York's Product Liability Laws
New York's legal framework for defective household products is built on several powerful legal theories that prioritize consumer safety and allow injured parties to recover compensation when products fail to meet established safety standards. These laws recognize that consumers should not bear the burden of injuries caused by products they reasonably expected to be safe.
Strict Liability: Holding Manufacturers Accountable
One of the most important principles in New York product liability law is the doctrine of strict liability, which provides significant advantages for injured consumers. Under strict liability, you do not need to prove that the manufacturer was negligent or careless in making the product. Instead, the focus is on whether the product itself was unreasonably dangerous due to a defect.
This legal doctrine, established in cases like Voss v. Black & Decker Manufacturing Co., recognizes that manufacturers are in the best position to ensure product safety and should be held responsible when their products cause harm. For example, if a coffee maker overheats and causes burns due to a defective thermostat, you can file a strict liability claim without needing to prove that the manufacturer was careless in designing the thermostat system.
To succeed under strict liability, you must demonstrate four key elements:
- The defendant was in the business of selling the product.
- The product was defective and unreasonably dangerous.
- The defect directly caused your injury.
- The product had not been substantially altered since purchase.
This approach shifts the focus from the manufacturer's behavior to the product's safety, making it easier for consumers to receive compensation.
Negligence Claims for Manufacturer Misconduct
Unlike strict liability, negligence claims focus on the conduct of the manufacturer during the product’s design, production, and marketing process. Negligence claims require proving that the manufacturer failed to exercise reasonable care and that this failure directly caused your injuries.
Negligence claims can be especially strong when evidence shows the manufacturer was aware of safety problems but failed to take appropriate action. For example, if internal documents reveal that a company knew about overheating issues in their space heaters but continued production without design modifications, this could support a strong negligence claim.
These claims often involve evidence of ignored safety protocols, inadequate quality control during production, or failure to conduct proper safety testing. Expert witnesses frequently testify about industry standards and whether the manufacturer's conduct fell below acceptable practices.
Warranty Protections Under New York Law
New York's warranty laws provide additional protections for consumers injured by defective household products. The state's Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), combined with federal protections under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, ensures that consumers can rely on both express and implied warranties when purchasing household products.
Express warranties are specific promises made by manufacturers about the safety, performance, or durability of a product. If a vacuum cleaner is advertised as "durable for 10 years" but malfunctions within two years due to a motor defect, you can pursue breach of express warranty claims seeking repair costs, replacement, or refunds.
Implied warranties apply automatically, even if no explicit promises are made. These include the implied warranty of merchantability (that the product works as expected) and the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.
Warranty claims benefit from a longer statute of limitations: four years to file, compared to three years for personal injury claims. This extra time can be critical, especially for injuries that are not immediately apparent.
Types of Household Product Defects
Understanding the different categories of product defects can help you identify when you may have a valid claim for compensation. New York law recognizes three distinct types of defects, each requiring different types of evidence and legal strategies.
Design Defects: Inherent Flaws in Product Conception
Design defects represent fundamental problems with how a product was conceived and engineered. These defects affect every unit manufactured according to the defective design, making them particularly dangerous because they impact large numbers of consumers.
Common examples of design defects in household products include space heaters that are prone to tipping over and igniting nearby materials, kitchen knives with handles that become slippery when wet, or children's high chairs with unstable bases that can easily tip over. In these cases, the defect isn't a manufacturing error but rather a fundamental problem with the product's design.
To prove a design defect, you typically need to show that a safer, feasible alternative design existed and would not have reduced the product’s utility. Expert witnesses often play a crucial role in demonstrating how the product could have been designed more safely.
Manufacturing Defects: Errors in Production
Manufacturing defects occur during the production process when individual products deviate from their intended design specifications. Unlike design defects that affect entire product lines, manufacturing defects typically impact specific batches or individual units.
Examples include a batch of blenders with improperly secured blades that detach during use, electrical appliances with faulty wiring due to assembly errors, or children's toys with sharp edges caused by defective molding processes. These defects often result from inadequate quality control, contaminated materials, or errors in the manufacturing process.
Manufacturing defects can be particularly challenging to prove because they may not become apparent until the product fails catastrophically. Preserving the defective product and obtaining expert analysis of the defect is crucial for these cases.
Failure to Warn: Inadequate Safety Information
Even safe products can become dangerous when consumers aren’t properly warned about risks or given adequate instructions for use. Recent examples include cleaning chemicals sold without adequate warnings about toxic fumes, hair dryers lacking caution labels about water exposure, or furniture items that lack proper assembly instructions. These cases often involve manufacturers who knew or should have known about risks but failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers.
Recent Major Settlements Involving Defective Household Products
Several high-profile settlements in recent years demonstrate that New York's legal system can provide meaningful avenues for compensation when household products cause injuries or other harm:
Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Settlement: $700 Million
In 2024, Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $700 million settlement in New York v. Johnson & Johnson after evidence revealed the company marketed talc-based baby powder to communities of color despite knowing about cancer risks. New York received $44 million of this amount to fund public health programs, highlighting how failure-to-warn claims can result in substantial compensation and systemic changes.
This case illustrates that even products marketed for decades can be subject to successful legal challenges when evidence shows manufacturers concealed known risks from consumers. The settlement also shows that courts increasingly recognize the need to address deceptive marketing practices that target vulnerable communities.
Hoverboard Fire Settlement: $38.5 Million
Target and Jetson Electric Bikes paid $38.5 million in 2024 to settle a lawsuit after a defective Jetson Rogue hoverboard caused a fatal house fire. The plaintiffs successfully proved that manufacturing defects in the lithium-ion batteries caused overheating during charging, leading to the devastating fire.
This case illustrates the potential for substantial compensation in household product cases, particularly when defects cause catastrophic injuries or property damage. It also demonstrates the importance of expert testimony in proving that product defects, rather than user error, caused the incident.
Bosch Appliance Settlement: $2 Million
In 2025, BSH Home Appliances resolved a class action lawsuit over defective control panels in ovens and microwaves that faded or failed entirely. Affected consumers received up to $400 per unit plus extended service plans, showing that even seemingly minor defects can result in meaningful compensation for consumers.
Costco Flushable Wipes Settlement
Costco recently paid $1.30 per package to New York purchasers of wipes that were marketed as "flushable" but weren't actually suitable for flushing. While the individual amounts were modest, this case demonstrates that deceptive product labeling can trigger consumer protection claims.
Critical Timing Issues and Statutes of Limitations
Understanding the time limits for filing household product liability claims is crucial because missing these deadlines can forever bar your claim, regardless of how strong your case might be. New York has specific limitation periods that vary depending on the type of claim and the circumstances involved.
Standard Limitation Periods
For most product liability claims involving household products, New York imposes a three-year statute of limitations measured from the date of injury to file your lawsuit.
However, the timing can be complex when injuries don't manifest immediately. For latent injuries that develop over time, New York Civil Practice Law and Rules Section 214-c provides special protections. This statute permits claims within one year of discovering the injury's cause, provided the discovery occurs within five years of the original injury.
Extended Warranty Claim Periods
Breach of warranty claims offer a significant timing advantage, with a four-year limitation period under New York's UCC. This extended timeframe can be particularly valuable for consumers who purchased products years ago but are just now experiencing problems or realizing that defects caused their injuries.
The longer warranty period recognizes that many product defects don't become apparent immediately and that consumers should have reasonable time to discover and address warranty violations.
Building a Strong Household Product Liability Case
Successfully pursuing compensation for injuries caused by defective household products requires careful case preparation and substantial evidence. The complexity of these cases, combined with the resources that manufacturers typically devote to defending them requires an experienced team of dedicated personal injury lawyers who thoroughly understand the legal landscape. These big companies will often test the waters with miniscule settlement offers. Do not let yourself get shortchanged. If you were injured because of a defective household item, contact the Porter Law Group to know your legal options and secure the best compensation possible.
At the Porter Law Group, we take great attention to detail in every case we handle, from meticulous evidence preservation, to identification of all liable parties, and collaboration with experts from various fields of specialization, you can be assured that when you work with us, you are getting quality legal representation that doesn’t compromise to secure a quick resolution. We have the experience, skills, and resources to go the distance with large corporations and their insurance providers. View our previous results, and see why so many New Yorkers have trusted us in over two decades of service.
Types of Compensation Available
Consumers injured by defective household products can recover several types of damages that reflect the full scope of their injuries and losses. New York's comprehensive approach to damages ensures that successful plaintiffs can obtain meaningful compensation.
Economic Damages
Economic damages include all quantifiable financial losses resulting from the defective product. This encompasses medical expenses for treating injuries, including emergency room visits, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and ongoing medical care.
Lost wages and diminished earning capacity are also recoverable, reflecting both time missed from work and any permanent reduction in your ability to earn income. Property damage caused by defective products, such as fire damage from faulty appliances, can also be recovered.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate for the physical pain, emotional suffering, and diminished quality of life caused by defective products. These damages recognize that the impact of a defective product extends far beyond financial losses to affect every aspect of your daily life.
Pain and suffering damages can be substantial in household product cases, particularly when products cause severe burns, lacerations, or other serious injuries requiring extensive medical treatment. Loss of enjoyment of life damages compensate for your inability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed.
Punitive Damages
In cases involving particularly egregious conduct, such as manufacturers knowingly selling dangerous products or concealing known risks, punitive damages may be available. These damages are designed to punish wrongdoers and deter similar conduct in the future.
The Johnson & Johnson talcum powder case exemplifies how punitive damages can be substantial when manufacturers engage in deceptive practices that endanger public health, particularly when they target vulnerable populations.
Injured By Defective Household Products?
Reach out to our experienced team for a free consultation.
Why Choose the Porter Law Group
The lawyers at the Porter Law Group have decades of experience representing individuals and families whose lives have been devastated by catastrophic injuries. We have obtained some of the largest settlements and verdicts in courts throughout the State of New York. We are a state-wide firm that handles cases with a hometown feel.
Our clients come to us looking for guidance and answers. With seasoned trial lawyers, the Porter Law Group has the resources necessary to help you navigate the most complex cases, against goliath insurance companies that will stop at nothing to prevent you from receiving the compensation you deserve.
You only get one chance to hire the best lawyer for you and your family. Hire the lawyers most recommended by former clients and local attorneys, and the firm that obtains superior results.
When you or a loved one's life has been devastated by a serious personal injury in New York, don't hire a lawyer without calling the Porter Law Group to learn why so many of our clients are thankful they trusted us with their case in their time of need.
Contact a New York Product Liability Attorney Today
If you've been injured by a defective household product, don't wait to protect your legal rights. The complex intersection of product liability law, warranty protections, and consumer safety regulations requires immediate attention from experienced legal professionals who understand these challenging cases.
At the Porter Law Group, we offer free, no-obligation consultations to evaluate your case and explain your legal options. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no attorney fees unless we win your case. This allows you to pursue the compensation you deserve without worrying about upfront legal costs.
Recent settlements demonstrate that manufacturers can be held accountable for defective household products, but these cases require experienced legal representation to navigate successfully. Contact the Porter Law Group today at 833-PORTER9 or email info@porterlawteam.com to schedule your free consultation. Let our experienced New York product liability attorneys fight for the full compensation you deserve while you focus on your recovery.
