When you open a bottle of wine or any other beverage, the last thing you expect to find inside is glass. Unfortunately, pebbles, glass, and other random objects in food and beverage products are more common than you may think. If you or someone close to you was injured by a foreign object in your food, you may be able to recover compensation for your harm. At our Law Offices, our Miami product liability attorneys can examine the facts of your case and help you understand your legal rights and options.
Last month, certain bottles of Florida wine were recalled for containing glass bits.
Seavin, Inc. announced a voluntary partial recall of select 750 milliliter glass bottles of its Lakeridge and San Sebastian wines because small grains or bits of glass were found in the bottles. The recall comes after testing related to the wine company’s production methods. The testing focused on a manufacturing defect affecting glass bottles used by Seavin in certain production runs. It is important to note that the affected bottles come from only one glass packaging manufacturer that supplies Seavin with its wine bottles. It is claimed that the risk to the public is extremely small because the number of bottles potentially containing pieces of glass is numerically insignificant.
The story raises an interesting question about liability. If your food or beverage contains a dangerous material that is not supposed to be there, like glass, who is liable? Generally, if an unsafe product caused your injuries, you may be able to pursue compensation through a product liability claim. When foreign objects like glass, stones, pebbles, or sharp objects that are not reasonably expected by a consumer end up in food, they pose a serious health risk. For instance, glass in your food or beverage could lead to the following injuries:
- Cuts in the mouth or throat;
- Illness due to ingestion of the object;
- Lacerations by sharp objects.
Product liability claims are intended to hold manufacturers and retailers accountable for putting dangerous products into the stream of commerce. In order to win a product liability case in Florida, the consumer simply has to show that the foreign object was in the food or beverage at the time it was purchased and that the foreign object was a direct cause of the consumer’s injury. In other words, it is not enough to show the presence of the foreign object, but you also have to show that the foreign object injured you.
Individuals injured by foreign objects in food may be able to recover a variety of damages, including but not limited to medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, costs of future care, and other losses arising from the accident. In some product liability cases, individuals may even be able to seek punitive damages, although this is quite rare.
If you or your loved one has been injured due to a foreign object in your food or beverage, you may be able to seek compensation for your harm. At our Law Offices, our seasoned Miami product liability attorneys are committed to helping Florida clients resolve their personal injury cases in an effective and efficient manner. For more information, call us at 1-877-499-HURT (4878) or reach out to us online.
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