Product Liability
Product liability covers a recognized legal area concerned with defective, dangerous or unsafe items that cause injuries. Not all injuries involving consumer goods fall into this category. As an Illinois product liability attorney can attest, some injuries are purely accidental or may even be rooted in the misuse of an item by an individual. However, when a defective or unsafe object harms someone, a manufacturer, distributer and seller can be held responsible for the injuries caused by the object.
Any type of consumer or industrial item may be unsafe and could cause injuries. Every year, many products are recalled because they’re defective or dangerous. Some products have a flawed design, while others contain unsafe materials. Even if a item’s design is safe and all the components are made from substances that don’t usually cause injuries, errors during assembly can occur that result in harm to consumers.
From simple household items to complex machinery or medical devices, defective products can be found in any home or place of business. Here are some of the types of things that may be involved in litigation:
- Baby cribs
- Child high chairs
- Child car seats
- Toys
- Motor vehicles
- Watercraft
- Household appliances
- Lights
- Machines
- Industrial equipment
- Medical drugs
- Medical devices
Some products, such as medical devices and drugs, have known risks and side effects. In those cases, a warning that details the possible dangers must be included in the distribution of the items. Without such warnings, users can’t make an informed decision about the relative benefits and dangers of using the object. If a product with known risks hurts someone, and the manufacturer did not provide information about the possible dangers of use, that manufacturer may be responsible for damages or compensation to the injured party.
How Can an Illinois Product Liability Attorney Help?
Injury-causing accidents are often complex, and the legal cases involving products may be difficult and involved. Evidence surrounding the accident must be collected, analyzed and evaluated before a product liability lawyer can determine if there is a successful legal case to be made. Manufacturers often employ legal teams to protect them from the threat of lawsuits, and few distributers want to admit to promoting unsafe items.
Not only must the details of an accident be ascertained, but a liability case also needs to prove that a product is flawed and unreasonably dangerous. Proving the inherent risks of an item is often a process that involves multiple layers of complex evidence.
Because of the complexity of proving a legal claim, people injured by dangerous devices generally need the help of a product liability lawyer. Lawyers represent the interests of the injured person, gathering the evidence and legal documents required for litigation.
An attorney represents the injured party’s interests at every point in the process, from dealing with manufacturers and insurance companies, to making a case in a trial. If a claim goes to court, a lawyer understands the procedures that best represent victims’ rights. In most cases, product liability attorneys don’t charge clients for a preliminary investigation or consultation. A lawyer generally only collects payment upon the successful settlement of a case.