Burn and Electrical Hazards in Common Household Products

As a consumer, you expect the products you bring into your home to be safe and reliable. Unfortunately, defective items can make it to market and cause severe harm. Products that generate heat or run on electricity can pose serious risks of burns or electrical injuries when they are poorly designed, manufactured improperly, or sold without adequate warnings.

Burns and electrical injuries are among the most painful and potentially life-threatening types of injuries. When these injuries occur because of a product defect, the companies involved in the design, production, or distribution of the product may be held legally responsible.

What Are the Main Types of Product Defects?

Product defects generally fall into one of three categories:

• Design Defects: Flaws in the original design that make the entire product line unsafe.
• Manufacturing Defects: Mistakes or deviations during production that make specific units hazardous.
• Warning Defects: Lack of adequate instructions or safety warnings that prevent users from using the product properly or understanding the risks.

What Common Household Products Pose Burn or Electrical Hazards?

Defective products used in everyday life—both indoors and outdoors—can pose serious burn and electrical risks. Whether for home maintenance, recreation, or daily convenience, certain consumer goods are more likely to cause injury if they malfunction.

Products that have been linked to burn or shock hazards include:

• Household appliances such as stoves, ovens, microwaves, and space heaters.
• Power tools and battery-powered equipment, including drills, saws, and hedge trimmers.
• Rechargeable devices like e-bikes, scooters, laptops, and children’s ride-on toys.
• Lithium-ion batteries used in electronics, power banks, and cordless tools.
• Electrical cords, surge protectors, and multi-outlet adapters.
• Lighting fixtures used in kitchens, bathrooms, or outdoor areas.
• Heating devices such as fireplaces, fire pits, and patio heaters.
• Cooking equipment like grills, toasters, coffee makers, pressure cookers, and camping stoves.
• Pressurized fuel containers, including propane tanks, butane canisters, and lighters.
• Fireworks, sparklers, and novelty ignition products used for celebrations.

What Types of Incidents Can Result From Defective Products?

When a defective product fails, the results can be devastating. Common incidents include:

• Arc flashes from faulty cords or exposed wires.
• Battery fires during charging or use.
• Contact burns from hot surfaces like grills or space heaters.
• Electric shocks from improperly insulated equipment.
• Electrocution, especially in wet environments like pool areas.
• Explosions or flash fires due to leaking fuel or gas accumulation.
• Severe burns from sparklers or novelty devices lacking appropriate warnings.

Understanding Product Liability

Product liability is a legal concept that allows injured consumers to hold manufacturers, designers, distributors, and retailers accountable when a defective product causes harm. In Pennsylvania, many product liability cases fall under strict liability laws. This means you don’t have to prove negligence—just that the product was defective, you used it as intended, and the defect caused your injury.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Defective Product Injury?

Multiple parties may be responsible for a product-related injury:

• The product designer.
• The manufacturer (including parts manufacturers).
• The assembler of the final product.
• The distributor.
• The retailer who sold the item.

What Should You Do After a Defective Product Injury?

If you’ve been injured, take the following steps:

• Seek medical attention immediately—even minor burns or shocks can lead to serious complications.
• Preserve the product in its current condition. Do not throw it away, and do not send it to the manufacturer or anyone else.
• Document everything: take photos of the product, your injuries, and where the incident occurred.
• Save receipts, packaging, and manuals.
• Get contact info from any witnesses.

Then, speak to a Philadelphia product liability lawyer who can evaluate your case and help you pursue compensation.

How Can Galfand Berger LLP Help Me After a Defective Product Injury?

At Galfand Berger LLP, our Philadelphia product liability lawyers have extensive experience representing clients who have suffered life-altering burns and electrical injuries due to dangerous defective products. We are committed to holding negligent designers and manufacturers accountable.

Some recent settlements and verdicts include:

• $1.75 million settlement, one of the largest in Lebanon County, for a masonry worker who suffered an electrical shock and burns in a rented aerial lift that he was not trained or insured to operate, and should not have been allowed to rent.
• $750,000 settlement for a client who suffered severe injuries when a stovetop coffee percolator, defectively designed with a plastic handle, exploded, spraying molten plastic onto her right hand and fingers, causing third-degree, full-thickness burns.
• Maximum settlement on behalf of the family of a woman killed in a Berks County apartment fire due to faulty, unpermitted electrical work performed by an unlicensed electrician. She also resided in a second-floor apartment with no fire escape, one exit, and no working smoke detectors.
• Six-figure settlement for a client who suffered serious burns to their hands, neck, and face in a fire due to a leak in an improperly installed propane tank shut-off valve, which allowed propane to accumulate and ignite a fire.

Philadelphia Product Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP Hold Negligent Companies Accountable for Defective Products

Burns and electrical injuries can have life-altering consequences. When they are caused by defective products, you have the right to hold companies accountable. If you have been harmed by a defective product, the Philadelphia product liability lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP can help. Call 800-222-USWA (8792) or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, Pennsylvania, we serve clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Allentown and Harrisburg.