Defective products come in three main varieties, and the type you get can drastically influence the impact it has on you.
Do not assume that all defects are physical or result in broken products. The defect just has to make that product dangerous in some way. The three types of defects are manufacturing, design and marketing defects. Let's read a bit more on each of those categories.
Manufacturing Defect
Typically, this is an unintended defect. The design itself is safe, but the product was constructed improperly. An example could be a seat belt in a car that was not correctly installed. If it had been, it would have kept you safe. However, the inadequate installation means it breaks away from the car during a crash and you get hurt.
Design Defect
These are inherent defects. The actual design itself is unsafe, even when all of the manufacturing is done properly. Maybe the seat belt did get installed properly but the fabric is too thin. It actually snaps during the crash. You get injured because that design could never have protected you.
Marketing Defect
This is where you move away from the physical issues and into other dangers. These often involve packaging, instructions and warning labels. For instance, if you can safely take two pills every six hours when buying a specific type of medication, but the packaging tells you that you can take two pills every three hours, you could accidentally overdose. The drug itself is safe, just not in the way that you used it.
If you suffer serious injuries for any of these reasons, make sure you understand all of your legal options to seek compensation.