Walmart Ozark Trail Water Bottles Recalled After Serious Eye Injuries

In most cases, consumers don’t assume that ordinary household products such as water bottles would be able to cause any harm to buyers. Nevertheless, Ozark Trail water bottles highlight how defects in seemingly harmless products can lead to severe injuries to customers. There are reports that users have suffered injuries such as blindness due to the violent ejection of the bottles’ lids. This is a prime example of a product liability lawsuit. 

Background of the recall 

The recalled product is the Ozark Trail brand 64-oz Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottles. The bottles were manufactured and distributed extensively at Walmart stores and via Walmart websites. According to the CPSC, the recall was issued following various complaints regarding the product’s capacity to violently pop its lid into the user’s face after they attempt to open the bottle. This poses significant hazards to consumers, including the risk of being blinded by the product.

Indeed, several individuals have reported injuries to their faces. At least one person reported losing eyesight permanently when their eye was struck by the lid. Such injuries clearly demonstrate the dangers associated with the product.

The problem appears to arise from pressure building up inside the bottle. When some kinds of liquid products, especially carbonated drinks, are contained in the bottle, the gas pressure can build up and be released when the bottle is opened. 

Legal issues and product liability analysis 

This case is a prime example of how to prove a product liability lawsuit based on a defectively designed product. Products that can reasonably be expected to cause danger which cannot be alleviated with alternative designs would likely be categorized as a defectively designed good. Here, the design of the water bottle may be unsafe due to internal pressure building up and the lid ejecting.

In addition, those injured can claim that the manufacturer failed to warn them about the dangers of the product. The manufacturer has a duty to warn the consumer about potential dangers related to their product. When they don’t, and a consumer is injured, that consumer can file a lawsuit against the company that manufactured the product.

Lastly, retailer liability could be one aspect worth considering in this case, too. Since Walmart is exclusively selling water bottles from this line, there is a great chance that the retailer will face legal consequences because of this product. Retailers can usually be held accountable for defective products under most product liability laws. 

Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of Florida residents who have been injured by a dangerous or defective consumer product. Call our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.