You expect the products that you buy to be safe. Consumers rely on marketing and labels to use products the way they were intended. But dangerous product defects can turn even the most benign product into a hazard – one that you might use in your home every single day.
From exploding pressure cookers to faulty seatbelts and airbags, the consequences of defective products can be devastating to innocent buyers and their families. Besides everyday home goods, millions of people rely on medical devices and implants to work properly in order to live.
Products liability injuries can be as different as the products involved. Users of defective products may experience burns, illness, or other serious personal injuries like spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injury (TBI), amputation, and even death. Some products may injure multiple people in similar ways, in which case a class action case may be the best strategy.
At Pyramid Legal, we’re here to hold the makers of defective products responsible for the harm they’ve caused. Companies who create defective products may try to sweep evidence of their wrongdoing under the rug but our attorneys can help you get the justice you deserve. That includes compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
3 Types of Dangerous Product Defects
According to the law, most product defects fall into three basic categories:
- If a product has a defective design, it can be dangerous even if it’s manufactured perfectly. The product’s flaw lies in its very blueprint. A product can be classified as defective when the risk of using it outweighs any possible benefits.
- A manufacturing defect involves a flaw in the manufacturing process. Even if the design is perfect, defective manufacturing can create dangerous products. Companies that don’t do proper quality checks could be negligent for manufacturing defects.
- To avoid defective marketing, manufacturers have a duty to inform consumers of any risks that come with using the product as well as proper safety instructions. Failing to do either could make the manufacturer liable for any injuries that result.
Millions of Americans rely on all types of products to live their daily lives. A defective product could have major consequences for a victim’s health and even their career. A severe injury could require long-term or even lifelong medical treatment and supportive care.
Who Is Responsible for a Defective Product?
In most cases, a product goes through many hands before it reaches a consumer. In California, products liability cases are decided on a strict liability basis.
Strict liability means that anyone involved in the creation, sale, distribution, or marketing of a product can be held responsible for injuries caused by that product. This is true even if their actions did not directly cause the defect.
Depending on the type of defect, responsibility could lie with the product manufacturer, a part manufacturer, an independent testing lab, a distributor, a supplier, a sales representative, or a retailer. For example: a perfectly designed and manufacturing product could still be defective if the distributor failed to transport the product in the proper temperature conditions.
Strict liability cases work out in favor of victims, who must only show that a defective product caused their injury. As the victim, it’s not your responsibility to figure out who caused the defect. After all, no one could expect you to investigate major manufacturers and large corporations to figure out who failed to do their job. That would be outrageous.
Once you prove that a product was defective and caused your injuries, the manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and other responsible parties can hash out fault among themselves.
How a Products Liability Lawyer Can Help
When you file a personal injury claim based on products liability, you can hold the manufacturers responsible for damages to cover the losses you’ve experienced.
If you’ve lost a loved one because of a defective product, you could have a wrongful death claim on their behalf, to recover for their pain, suffering, and lost income.
If a court finds that a manufacturing company acted maliciously, willfully, or with extreme recklessness for the safety of others, they may even award the victim punitive damages.
While monetary compensation cannot undo your injury or a loved one’s death, a lawsuit can put responsibility where it belongs. The burden of shouldering your injury shouldn’t fall on you and your family when someone else is the actual cause of your suffering. A products liability settlement can help you get the medical treatment you need to recover and take a defective product off the market so that it won’t hurt anyone else.
The passionate team at Pyramid Legal fights to secure a brighter future for our clients. Contact our experienced attorneys for a free consultation now.
