Products liability lawyers handle injuries resulting from defective consumer products like airbags, guns, lawnmowers, football helmets, and tobacco. They also handle food poisoning cases.
If a consumer purchases a defective product, the seller of that item, even though they were not involved in its manufacture, can be held liable for damages. Wholesaler: The wholesaler is considered the “middleman” between the manufacturer and the retailer.
The two primary categories of product defects under federal law are design defects and manufacturing defects. These are caused by an error in assembly and are not intended to be part of the product.
Types of Product Liability Lawsuits. Generally, there are three types of product liability cases. Negligence: The claimant must show that carelessness in the design or manufacture of the product led to his or her injuries. The injured party first must demonstrate that the defendant had a duty to sell a safe product.
A defective product is a consumer good that causes injury or illness and as such constitutes grounds for a lawsuit to recover damages. Someone harmed by a product defect has a right to take legal action to recover medical costs, loss of income and more. This legal action is often called a product liability claim.
With regard to products liability, a defendant is liable when the plaintiff proves that the product is defective, regardless of the defendant's intent. It is irrelevant whether the manufacturer or supplier exercised great care; if there is a defect in the product that causes harm, he or she will be liable for it.
If you make a defective product claim, there are four elements of your claim you must prove:You were using the product as intended. ... The product was defective. ... You were injured or otherwise suffered harm. ... The product's defect caused you harm.
Though the range of defective product cases is broad, the claims typically fall into three categories of product liability: (1) defective manufacture; (2) defective design; or (3) failure to provide adequate warnings or instructions concerning the proper use of the product.
First, it must be proven that you used the product in the way that it was designed to be used and not for any other purpose. Second, it must be proven that the product was defective. Third, you must prove that you were injured. And lastly, it must be proven that the defect in the product caused your injuries.
As we've already discussed, if you notice a defect in something you recently purchased, your best option usually is to return it immediately to the retailer. Getting the seller to issue a refund or exchange is almost always more convenient than filing a claim under any manufacturer's express warranty.
You were injured or suffered losses. The product is defective. The defect caused your injury.
Retailers can be held liable in a defective products liability lawsuit if they knowingly sold a defective product or failed to move items that were recalled from their shelves and inventory. Retailers are usually the last link in the chain of distribution.
The three types of product defects are outlined below.Design Defects. A design defect occurs when the actual design of the product is faulty. ... Manufacturing Defects. In contrast to design defects, manufacturing defects only affect certain units or batches of a product, rather than all products in a line. ... Labeling Defects.
All that is required to be shown in a strict liability claim is that the product was defective, that the defect existed when the product left the manufacturer's facility, and that the defect caused injury and damages to you as a foreseeable user of the product.
A product liability lawsuit is a legal action that the plaintiff (a consumer) brings against the manufacturers, distributors, and/or retailers of a product that injured them by virtue of a defect of design, manufacture, or marketing. Some product liability lawsuits are individual actions.
Defective manufacturing lawsuits are the most common type of product liability claim.
When a retailer advertises an item for sale, it is implied that they ensure the product is safe and suitable for use. Even though a retailer may not have manufactured or distributed a defective product, they can be held liable for any injuries or losses caused by a product they sold.
One who sells any goods or products in a defective condition unreasonably dangerous to the user or consumer or to his property is subject to liability for physical harm thereby caused to a person whom the manufacturer, seller or supplier might reasonably have expected to use, consume or be affected by the goods, or to ...
Strict liability is imposed on defendants whose activities are abnormally dangerous and/or involve dangerous animals and on defendants whose products are defective. Compare: Pet's are given one free bite.
Products are considered to be defective when they have design, manufacturing, or marketing defects. When these flaws make the product unreasonably dangerous, victims have the right to pursue a product liability claim for compensation.
The parties involved may include you (the buyer), the owner of the product, and the sellers. Otherwise, anyone in the chain.
Product liability refers to the liability that may arise when a product is defective or not reasonably safe. Doctors, patients, or consumers who have been injured by unsafe products may have access to compensation, in the form of a product liability lawsuit.
Product manufacturers and sellers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their products. In Pennsylvania, the consumer or defendant has the burden of proof. The defective product lawyers at Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat will represent you once we determine you have a case. Since 1976, Pennsylvania clients have trusted us to meet their personal injury law needs. A notable example of a product liability case handled by our Firm involved a pretzel oven that mangled an employee’s hand as the employee was attempting to clean the oven. A product liability suit was filed against the manufacturer and other entities. A substantial confidential settlement was achieved after extensive litigation. This also involved a workers’ compensation claim as the injury occurred in the course and scope of employment; and again, our Firm handled the workers’ compensation claim contemporaneous with the product defect case.
Inadequate or no product instructions, such as televisions or furniture without tip-over warnings; or lack of instructions on properly anchoring the furniture to the wall.
In 1992, Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns when a McDonald’s coffee she purchased spilled when she removed the lid to add cream and sugar. It’s a misunderstood lawsuit and some labeled it frivolous.
Attorneys who specialize in defective products cases assist their clients in pursuing compensation in the form of damages. If you have been injured as a result of a defective product, contact an attorney for a consultation.
Defective products lawyers assist their clients in seeking compensation for any and all harm that resulted from the use of defective products. In many cases, lawsuits are large and include many injured parties, known as a class action lawsuit.
Food poisoning lawyers aid their clients in filing lawsuits in cases of severe injury and wrongful death. Most cases of food poisoning are related to negli gence during the preparation and manufacturing process, and experienced attorneys in this area of law are skilled at pursuing compensation for harmed clients.
The main legal theories involved in defective products cases are negligence and strict liability. In negligence cases, the plaintiff must be able to prove that the manufacturer breached a duty to the plaintiff, and as a result, ...
If you have been injured and know that it is from a defective product, then it is in your best interest to seek help from a defective products lawyer who can let you know your rights and what challenges may lie ahead .
Defective cars and car recalls are major problems that can lead to serious injury and death. The laws that regulate motor vehicles can be quite complex. Lemon laws and car recall systems are designed to be fairly easy to navigate for consumers, however, other laws are complex and require the expertise of a products liability lawyer.
Common class action lawsuits include: pharmaceutical drugs, consumer products, medical devices, and motor vehicles. Those who suffered the greatest harm are usually awarded a greater amount of damages, and those who suffered less may receive a small check in the mail.
When you buy a product and use it correctly, you do not expect it to harm you. If the product fails and you are injured or someone dies as a result, you may bring a claim against the manufacturers and sellers of the product.
Indiana has a deadline for defective product claims of two years from the date of your injury. Also, claims must be filed within 10 years from purchase of the product — unless the injury occurred at least eight years after purchase, when you would have two years from the date of the injury.
There are three types of product liability lawsuits. The first is a product liability suit based on a design defect. A design defect occurs when there was a flaw with the design of the product. Even though the product was created as it was intended, it is inherently unsafe.
In order to bring a product liability lawsuit, you must prove that the product you were injured by was defective and that this was what caused your injuries.
A statute of limitations is the given time period during which a legal action can be brought. In some states the statute of limitations is only two years for products liability cases. This means it is crucial to seek legal help as soon as possible.
Not all issues of product liability are the same: These cases fall into one of three categories, all of which our attorneys are qualified to handle. Product defect claims may address:
Whenever a defective product causes injury or property damage, the victim (s) of these losses have the right to pursue compensation. This is true no matter the type of product you were using. We can help with cases involving:
Proving a defect essentially requires becoming an authority on the type of product involved in the claim.
Lawsuits are some of the most effective ways to bring attention to defective products and push for real change. Most companies do not recall a malfunctioning product until they deem the cost of keeping it on the market is greater than the cost of removing it.
Product liability cases often mean taking on a big company in court—one that has a well-funded legal team and the resources to simply wait out plaintiffs who don’t have equal firepower on their side. When you work with Athea Trial Lawyers, you will have everything you need to go toe-to-toe with a corporation that is endangering consumers.
You can also search for an attorney on Lawyers.com or Nolo.com.
To report an unfair or deceptive business practice, such as a telemarketing scam, you can file an online complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC won’t work out your particular complaint, but it might use the information to help law enforcement officials detect patterns of fraud and abuse after it evaluates the complaint.
If you are still unable to settle your dispute after filing a complaint with the appropriate entity—and your problem doesn’t involve a lot of money—filing a suit in small claims court might be a good option.
Many government agencies and other organizations help consumers handle disputes.
While a company isn’t obligated to resolve your issue if you use this process, most will at least try to fix the problem because the CFPB publishes all complaints and results online.
The CFPB will facilitate a resolution to your complaint, but it won’t advocate for you. Here’s how the process works: The CFPB will forward the complaint to the company. The company reviews the complaint and reports to the CFPB on what steps it has taken, or will take, to settle the issue you raised.
A defectively manufactured product is a type of products liability claim when an injury occurs because of a defectively manufactured product. A defective manufactured product occurs when there is some error in making the product and the problem occurred at the factory where it was being made.
A defectively designed product is a product that has a bad design which has caused injury. A defectively designed product is not a single defective product, but the entire line of the products have a bad design that is dangerous for the average consumer use. The plaintiff must prove:
A failure to provide adequate warnings or instructions is where a product fails to have warning labels on the product that is visible enough for a consumer to be warned of the possible dangers associated with the product.
In most cases, the legal remedy for product injury failures is a damages award to reimburse the victim for their losses and products liability injuries. While every case is unique depending on the type of injury that the plaintiff suffers, the exact compensation that will be available for a plaintiff may be:
Injuries caused by product failure can be very serious, and can sometimes affect large portions of the consumer population. If you need legal assistance with a product failure injury, you may wish to hire a consumer lawyer in your area.