Product Liability Law is that protects consumers from defective or dangerous products. Defective products result in thousands of injuries each year in the United States. If a manufacturer has cut corners and sold a defective product or failed to sufficiently warn you of the potential dangers of their products, you may be entitled to compensation for losses or injuries. Product liability is covered under state laws and also under strict liability and negligence laws. Borland Phiffer Law can help you navigate the complexities of Product Liability Law and hold those at fault accountable for their negligence.

The Different Aspects Of Product Liability

There are several different entities that can be held accountable for product defects and multiple ways a product can be considered defective. Generally a product is considered defective if it does not meet a customer’s ordinary expectations. If a product is, indeed, defective, it may have happened at a number of points along the line. It could have happened in

• The design. This means the product was defective before it was even manufactured. It is inherently flawed and potentially dangerous.
• The manufacturing. This means something went wrong during the manufacturing process. A machine may have been defective or a part may have been broken during manufacturing. There are multiple ways something can go wrong in the manufacturing process.
• The marketing. Some products are inherently unsafe. For example, there is no real way to make a chainsaw 100% safe while also still functioning as a chainsaw. Therefore, manufacturers are required to put sufficient warnings and instructions to allow consumers to use the product safely.

In seeking to determine who is at fault, various people along the chain of distribution can be held accountable.

• The manufacturer
• Parts manufacturers
• Installers or people who assembled the product
• Wholesalers
• Retail stores

In almost all cases a product must be determined to be defective, and that defect must be determined to be dangerous. The exception to this is cases in which the injury was caused by insufficient warnings or instructions. In addition the product must have been sold to someone. It is very important to understand the product did not need to be sold to you. This means you are covered even if you bought an item used. You also may be covered if it was not even your product. For example, if you were injured by a product belonging to a friend, you could still recover damages if the injury was caused by a defect. The law formerly only covered the original purchaser, but this has changed.

If you or someone you know has been injured by what you suspect would fall under Product Liability, please call Borland Phiffer Law. Not only do we have abundant experience helping those who have been injured due to others’ negligence, you could also prevent these same injuries from happening to someone else. Please contact us for an evaluation of your case. She understands the devastating effects an injury can cause for you and your family. Let her help you get proper compensation so you can focus on healing.