In 2018, more products were recalled in the U.S. than had been recalled during any single year in a 20-year span. In 2022, the 2018 record was broken. In all, more than 1.22 billion units were recalled across five industries in 2022 alone. This number eclipses the 2018 record of 1.2 billion recalled units within the five industries in question.
What does this record-breaking year of recalls mean for consumers? It only took seven months to hit one billion units recalled in 2022, even though it took a full year to reach that threshold in 2018. Products are becoming less safe, and manufacturers and/or the government are getting better at identifying products that need to be recalled or both.
Thoughtful consumerism
When a consumer suffers physical harm due to a defective or unreasonably dangerous product, they may be able to recover compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit. Yet, while legal protections are important, it’s ideal for consumers to remain safe in the first place.
Arguably, the first step in preventing product-related harm is to make consumers aware of the fact that not all regulated products are safe. Although manufacturers are required to manufacture products that are safe – when used as intended – and adequately labeled for safety reasons, consumers need to be careful when using any product that could potentially cause harm. They should also remain informed about product recall efforts so that they can quickly act on a recall’s instructions if they own an affected product.
If you or a loved one has suffered harm as the result of a defective or dangerous product, it’s important to research whether or not it has been recalled. You can then either submit a notice to the proper authorities that you’ve been injured by the recalled product or that an unrecalled product may need to be investigated for defects. Finally, once you understand whether others have been harmed by the same product, you can decide whether to join an existing lawsuit or explore the possibility of initiating a new civil case.
