South Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Tanning beds are quite a common way of getting a tan in Florida and throughout the United States. While most people get a tan without incident, the reality is that tanning devices can pose serious hazards. If you or someone close to you has suffered tanning bed injuries, it is important to reach out to a seasoned Miami injury lawyer who can assess the facts of your case and determine whether or not you have a viable legal claim.
Indoor tanning takes place when an individual uses a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get tan. According to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, many teenagers tan indoors, including seven percent of all high school students, 11 percent of high school girls, and 16 percent of girls in 12th grade. In Florida, there are currently more than 900 tanning facilities with over 4,000 tanning devices that are licensed by Florida country health departments.
Individuals can be significantly harmed if a tanning bed is not used as intended. Tanning salon operators must take great care in operating a tanning bed and must follow instructions that come with the device. For example, customers should be provided with safety goggles and advised of any health risks associated with the tanning bed. A defective or improperly installed tanning bed can also cause serious injuries. For example, a broken or faulty timer on the bed could cause an individual to sustain severe burns in a short amount of time. Additionally, if the bulbs in a tanning bed do not meet current safety regulations, they may cause burns to the skin.
The legal theory that will form the basis of your lawsuit will depend on how you sustained your tanning bed injury. In instances in which a faulty tanning bed or device caused the injury, a product liability claim would be appropriate. Under Florida law, a manufacturer, distributor, or seller may be liable if the product is unreasonably dangerous. In order to win on a product liability claim, the plaintiff must establish the following elements: i) the plaintiff suffered an actual loss as a result of using the product; ii) the product was defectively designed or manufactured, or the manufacturer knew or should have known of the risks and failed to warn consumers; iii) the defect in the product was a direct cause of the injury; and iv) the plaintiff was using the product as intended or in a way that the manufacturer could expect a reasonable person to use it.
If you have been injured as a result of negligence by a tanning bed manufacturer or retailer, or your injury was caused by the carelessness of a tanning salon owner or operator, we can help. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our Miami product liability attorneys can thoroughly evaluate the facts of your case and determine your eligibility for compensation. We have helped many South Florida clients resolve their personal injury claims and can help you as well. To speak to an attorney, call us at 1-877-499-HURT (4878) or contact us online today.
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