Understanding Product Liability
The term “product liability” can be confusing. Put simply, a product liability claim is a personal injury case involving a dangerous or defective product. The product’s manufacturer, designer, distributor and other parties might be legally responsible when injuries occur.
There are three main types of product liability cases:
- Defective design: Some products are inherently dangerous in the way they’re designed. Perhaps a certain dirt bike doesn’t have adequate safety features. Perhaps a children’s dresser doesn’t have wall mounts to prevent it from tipping over. Any number of potential hazards can be overlooked during the design process, resulting in thousands or millions of dangerous products in the hands of consumers.
- Manufacturing defect: Although manufacturers have quality assurance procedures in place to catch defective products, sometimes they fall through the cracks. An individual unit might become dangerous because it was not properly manufactured or assembled.
- Inadequate warnings: Manufacturers have a legal duty to include reasonable warnings on their products. For example, a children’s car seat should have prominent warnings about improper installation. Without these warnings, otherwise preventable tragedies can occur.
Examples Of Dangerous Products
Product defects can happen in virtually any industry. Examples include:
- Car defects involving seat belts, tires, brakes, air bags or the vehicle’s design
- Recreational vehicles such as ATVs, personal watercraft (Jet Skis), scooters and boats
- Pharmaceutical products such as prescription drugs and medical devices
- Dangerous household goods such as laundry pods, appliances, furniture and power tools
- Contaminated food such as produce that carries listeria or E. coli
- Children’s and baby products such as toys, car seats, swings, strollers and cribs
Find Out Whether You Have A Claim
These claims have deadlines, so it’s important to consult with a lawyer sooner rather than later. Call the Winston-Salem law office of Hartsoe & Associates, P.C. We offer contingency fee representation, which means you will pay attorney fees from any recovery you receive. We also have a convenient office in Greensboro, North Carolina.
For Tony, the law is a calling, not a job. He is a mountain boy, with simple, straightforward values. Tony loves what he does, and loves to help people through some of the toughest moments anyone will ever face. Learn More