As a consumer, you expect the products you purchase to be safe. However, sometimes dangerous or defective products make it to market and cause injuries. When this happens, victims have legal recourse with the help of a skilled product liability lawyer.
Product liability refers to the legal responsibility of manufacturers and sellers to make sure their products do not harm consumers. If a faulty product does cause harm, the victim can file a product liability lawsuit to recover compensation for their injuries, losses, and damages.
There are several common types of defective and dangerous products that frequently prompt lawsuits. Here are 5 of the most common cases a product liability lawyer may handle.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to a dangerous product, consult a knowledgeable product liability law firm like Dunn Sheehan to understand your options. With an attorney's help, you can pursue fair compensation and justice.
1. Defective Vehicles
Cars, trucks and other motor vehicles can easily malfunction and cause devastating crashes if they contain defects. Some common vehicle defects include defective airbags, bad brakes, ignition switch problems, seat belt failures, and many more.
When a dangerous vehicle defect injures a driver or passengers, a product liability attorney can help them build a case against the vehicle manufacturer. Settlements for defective vehicle cases often reach millions of dollars due to the permanent disabilities and fatalities they frequently cause.
2. Dangerous Drugs
When pharmaceutical companies release unsafe drugs to the public, it puts millions of people at risk of adverse reactions, illness, and even death. Dangerous drug cases may involve prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, or medical devices that cause harmful side effects.
A product liability lawyer can represent victims of unsafe drugs in lawsuits against the drug maker for compensation and to help ensure the product is pulled from the market so others are not harmed.
3. Defective Medical Devices
Many patients trust their doctors to implant safe, effective medical devices, but sometimes, these products fail or malfunction, causing serious injuries. Lawsuits over defective medical devices like hernia mesh, hip implants, IUDs, and surgical staplers have uncovered device dangers that manufacturers allegedly tried to conceal.
A product liability attorney can take legal action to make medical device companies accountable and recover compensation if a flawed device injures you.
4. Dangerous Children's Products
Parents do all they can to keep their children safe, but companies do not always design kids' products with safety in mind. Unsafe children’s products that frequently prompt lawsuits include flimsy cribs, high chairs that easily tip over, unstable strollers, dangerous toys, and more. When an unsafe kids' product injures a child, a product liability lawyer can help the family pursue the negligent company to cover the child's medical expenses and other damages.
5. Defective Appliances
Home appliances like refrigerators, washers, dryers, and water heaters can malfunction and cause fires, explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical shocks, and other catastrophic injuries. Manufacturing flaws, improper wiring, material defects, and other dangers may exist unbeknownst to the consumer until an appliance explodes or catches fire. After an injury from a defective appliance, getting legal help quickly is important to collect and preserve evidence. An attorney can build a strong defective products case on your behalf.
The Importance Of Consulting A Product Liability Lawyer: Summing Up
The impacts of dangerous and defective products can be life-altering. Companies have a responsibility to make their products as safe as possible. When they cut corners and place profits above safety, holding them legally accountable is critical.