If the subject product has a manufacturer name and you really want only information pertaining to that specific manufacturer, it is still better to keep your request broad and obtain information on similar products manufactured by all manufacturers of that type of product. We are all aware that federal, state and local governments house many different agencies and departments. When working with any product or issue where information may be obtained from a public entity, a Freedom of Information Act request may be utilized. I have requested information from the CPSC many times. I have sent requests to the Centers for Disease Control and agencies that set standards for the use and transportation of lethal chemicals.
Governmental agencies maintain a wealth of information, and the public is welcome to utilize it.
In many cases, you must determine that the general public, or at least the manufacturer of the product was on some sort of notice before the date of the incident that such a product could cause injuries. You would also want to know if notice of the hazards pertaining to this product was provided within a reasonable amount of time. If possible, we like to utilize a five-year time frame for such notice. This time frame provides plenty of time for injuries to have occurred, reporting of the injuries to take place, testing to be conducted, reports to be prepared and recommendations for change and the reasons for those recommendations to be posted and disseminated. Because my firm is located in California, once I have obtained information from the CPSC, I need to discover how long before the information that was available on the East Coast became available in California.