It would be a shame to gain some success for your invention or product and then have that all taken away by a lawsuit. Preventing legal damages is important to any business, but here are some specific ways that product owners can protect themselves. 

Get Mechanical Testing

Before your product meets the world, consider getting mechanical testing done on it. Professional mechanical testing will put various types of stress on the product and make sure it doesn't behave in an unexpected way. That is quite important if your product will experience stress in real life, such as if it might be stretched or stepped on. Any product that is designed to hold someone's weight should certainly be tested. Things that have fasteners or other parts that hold tension should be tested to see if those fasteners could fly off and become dangerous.

Some products may also be heat or water tested or exposed to chemicals to see how they react. Any unusual situations that your product may encounter under someone's use should be tested for; that way, you will have a better idea of potential defects and injury hazards before you put your product on the market. 

Get a Good Insurance Policy

Product makers need good business insurance. One job of your insurance adjuster is to squash claims before the customer becomes litigious. The insurance company is a first line of defense when someone claims they were injured by your product.

The insurance company may pay for their medical care or deny that the claim can be blamed on your product. For example, if the person was grossly misusing the product, the insurance company may not need to pay at all, especially if you included documentation that showed the proper use of the product and warning labels on how not to use it. Cases like these can be subject to interpretation by a judge, though. 

Another facet of good insurance is that which protects you against claims of copyright or patent infringement. Your product shouldn't be the same as someone else's idea or have similar branding. It helps to take out your own copyright and patents on the product so that there is no confusion as to who came up with an idea first. If there is a dispute, your insurance company will have your back. 

It's not enough to have a great product idea; one must operate within the legal confines in order to ensure that their success is not derailed.