Upon learning of a product recall, the first step by anyone who owns it should be to stop using it. By immediately removing the recalled toy, recalled food or other recalled product from your home, you may prevent an accident or injury.
Your next step should be to obtain and read the product recall notice. For most household items, including recalled toys, the product recall notice will be posted on the Web site of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. For other product recall notices, such as for recalled food, the Web site Recalls.gov serves as a central clearinghouse.
The product recall notice describes the recalled product's danger and the injuries it can cause. The notice contains specific instructions about handling the recalled product. For example, in the case of a recalled toy, the notice may instruct you to return it for a refund or replacement. In the case of recalled food, you may be told to destroy the item.
In ordering a product recall, the CPSC requires the manufacturer to offer consumers one of three options:
The product recall notice contains contact information where you may ask questions or obtain additional information. Often, the notice will contain the address of a special Web site set up to provide full details about the product recall.
If someone in your household suffered an accident or injury involving the recalled product, promptly seek legal advice from an experienced product recall lawyer. Product recalls raise a number of unique legal issues that an attorney is trained to address. The sooner you consult with a product recall attorney, the better able the attorney will be to protect your legal rights and preserve valuable evidence.
Keep in mind that you need not be the actual purchaser or user of a defective product to contact a lawyer. If a defective or hazardous product led to your injury or accident, you should consider consulting with a product recall lawyer.
You should also contact the business where you purchased the recalled product. The retailer should have information about the product recall and be able to assist you with replacements or refunds.
In some cases, the store may not yet know about the product recall. Make sure the store knows about the product recall and removes the recalled product from its shelves. Store owners should contact the distributor or manufacturer for further instructions on how to safely return or dispose of the recalled product.
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