Keep the product as it is
Do not repair, clean, alter, or throw away the item, and keep any parts, batteries, chargers, packaging, and manuals together in one place. If the manufacturer or retailer offers a replacement or asks you to ship the product back for analysis, talk with a lawyer before agreeing, because sending it away can mean losing control over the most important evidence. If the item is large, such as a vehicle or a piece of machinery, ask a lawyer about arranging storage before it is towed, sold, or salvaged. Take photographs from several angles, but avoid testing it or taking it apart yourself, since that can change exactly what an examiner needs to see.
Paper that connects the product to you
Receipts, order confirmations, credit card statements, and photos of the label or serial number help prove which product you had and where it came from. Note the model and lot number if one appears anywhere on the item or its packaging. Search for recall notices and keep any you find, along with messages you exchanged with the seller or manufacturer. Medical records should describe how the injury happened, and witnesses who saw the incident or the product failing can be important. Even if you bought the item secondhand or received it as a gift, a claim may still be possible, so the lack of a receipt is not a reason to stop.
Testing and the path of the case
Defective product claims usually depend on an engineer or another technical witness examining the item to identify what failed and why. That examination is often done under a written protocol with notice to the companies involved, especially if testing could alter or destroy part of the product. The findings help decide whom to sue and whether the theory concerns the design, a manufacturing flaw, or a missing warning. When you reach us, we confirm what you have, where it is stored, and what still needs to be secured. We then plan the inspection and the notices so that the evidence remains usable in court.
