If a defective product has harmed you, you have the legal right to seek compensation.
As consumers, we should trust that the products we purchase at stores or online are safe when used appropriately. If this fails to happen, you may need to consult the legal services of a Phoenix product liability lawyer who will fight to defend your rights.
Anytime you get hurt in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you need to see a medical professional and receive treatment. You shouldn’t have to worry about steep medical expenses and lost wages, and there are other financial losses associated with a product liability claim.
At Wattel & York, we can help you recoup any losses when you choose our legal representation.
What is Product Liability?
Product liability law holds companies and individuals responsible for products they manufacture or sell that result in injuries. Many different parties can be involved, such as the manufacturer, retailer, supplier, wholesaler, and more. If a product passes through the purchaser’s hands on its way to you, they may be held liable for the dangerous product.
If you have a serious injury from defective products, the responsible parties can be held responsible depending on the circumstances of the product liability case.
Often, product liability lawsuits can involve:
- Strict liability
- Manufacturing defects
- Product defects
- Negligence
- Breach of warranty
- Violation of federal or state consumer protection laws
- Poorly written instructions
Since there are many ways product liability litigation can come about, including the defective design of a product, these cases can be very challenging and complex.
You need to seek an experienced Phoenix product liability attorney who understands numerous issues involving science, engineering, and medical matters.
Types of Product Liability Claims
There are many types of claims that fall under the umbrella of product liability. It is helpful to understand product liability claims and how problems can result in serious injuries:
Manufacturing Defect
Defective consumer products can result in defective and dangerous products being placed in the retail space, where they can be purchased and used by consumers. We expect products to follow a consistent design. Any inconsistencies or use of substandard materials could be unreasonably dangerous to the public. Examples of manufacturing defects include using substandard materials, poor workmanship, faulty electronics, and more.
Design Defect
Design defects are independent of the actual manufacturing process since the product could be manufactured without any issue, but the problem is that the product’s specifications are dangerous. Examples can include poorly placed gas tanks in cars that explode when hit, poorly designed household appliances that shock you when wet, dangerous children’s toys, etc.
Speaking of children’s toys, this is a significant subclassification of defective designs that potentially impact thousands of young children each year. While adults don’t put themselves at risk by swallowing objects, climbing potentially hazardous objects, and more—children don’t fully understand the nature of cause and effect. They don’t realize that a small object could get lodged in their throat and choke them. Therefore, companies should be extra mindful when designing child-specific products.
Toxic Torts
These cases refer to products that cause severe personal injuries because of their chemical makeup. You can be exposed to these substances in your home, in the environment, at your office, and from consumer goods. Examples of known toxic torts include tobacco, asbestos, mercury, dioxin, pesticides, and more. They can also include pharmaceutical drugs that expose you to health risks.
Marketing Defect
Product liability can happen when a product injures the consumer who uses it because it did not have adequate instructions or warnings. Often these include medications that should have come with a warning about a specific risk but did not. Companies that fail to warn consumers could be held liable.
Product liability cases can be complicated and difficult to prosecute. They require an experienced product liability lawyer with the legal resources, knowledge, and drive to fight manufacturers and other defendants who will fight back. Your attorney must be willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that you are compensated for your injuries.
Common Categories of Product Liability Claims
Our product liability law firm helps clients injured by the following things:
- Cleaning products
- Vapes or e-cigs
- Airbags
- Child car seats
- Tires
- Children’s toys and clothing
- Household appliances
- Medical devices
- Motor vehicles
- Food
- Lawn care devices
- Medication
- Pesticides
- Safety equipment
- Tobacco products
- Pet food
- Defective furniture
- Mold and mildew
- Asbestos
- Machinery
- Electronics
There is no limit to the types of consumer products that can harm you or someone you love, especially if negligence is involved in the product’s design, manufacturing, or distribution.
Our Phoenix product liability attorneys can help investigate your case to determine the responsible person or company involved in your injury.
Hiring a Phoenix Product Liability Law Firm
There are many ways a defective product could cause a severe injury. Many consumer products are available that could be manufactured incorrectly, misused, mislabeled, or have a design defect. Determining a defective product could take complex technical and legal analysis.
Every year, people suffer injuries and even wrongful death in Phoenix and the rest of the United States. There could be multiple parties responsible for designing, manufacturing, and distributing a defective product that could all assume a shared legal responsibility to some extent for your injuries and emotional trauma.
Every product we buy and use would be consistently safe in a perfect world. When this isn’t the case, and someone gets hurt because of a defective product, we will help you hold the company accountable.
Clients often meet resistance when asking for fair compensation for their pain. Few companies are eager to admit that they sold a defective item, and they may try to blame you or other factors for your injuries, making it challenging to get compensation. That is why hiring an experienced personal injury attorney can be incredibly helpful.
Our personal injury attorneys will help you build a strong case by:
- Coordinating an investigation into your pain and suffering
- Determining the type of product liability you are looking at
- Gathering relevant evidence to support your case
- Negotiating with insurance providers and the manufacturer
- Utilizing our vast legal resources to demand fair compensation
- Litigate your case, if necessary
Call Our Phoenix Product Liability Attorney To Build Your Case
If you have been injured, you deserve fair compensation. However, it can seem daunting to take on an established car manufacturer, pharmaceutical giant, or any other established corporation with plenty of legal resources to fight back. It’s vital that you retain the legal services of a personal injury lawyer trained in defective products liability.
At Wattel & York, we meet these challenges head-on and do what is needed to level the playing field for you. We are dedicated to our clients and will help you understand product liability laws and what strict liability means.
If you or someone you love has been harmed by a defective product, defective medical device, marketing defect, chemical, drug, or any other substance, you deserve to receive compensation for any injuries, financial losses, medical bills, and more.
Call Wattel & York today to schedule a free evaluation with experienced trial attorneys.
