What is a “manufacturing defect”?
A manufacturing defect is a type of product defect which occurs when a product is made incorrectly during the manufacturing process. In Washington, a plaintiff must demonstrate that the injury was due to a manufacturing defect in order to be successful in a products liability lawsuit. Manufacturing defects can occur for a variety of reasons, such as poor quality control, using substandard materials, or simple design flaws. In some cases, a product with a manufacturing defect may not even look different from a product that is not defective—for example, a toy that has a sharp edge because of a miscalculated manufacturing machine. Manufacturing defects differ from other types of product defects, such as design defects and marketing defects, in that the manufacturing process—not the design or marketing—is to blame for the defect. To prove a manufacturing defect in a court of law, a plaintiff must provide evidence that a product was made incorrectly. In Washington, manufacturers are held liable for any harm caused by manufacturing defects, and plaintiffs can sue for damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. It is important to keep in mind that a manufacturer is only liable if the product was made incorrectly, not if it was simply defective.
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