Product Liability Lawyer
Consumer goods should work as expected. Unfortunately, many products are defective and end up injuring the user and innocent bystanders.
If you’ve been harmed by a hazardous product, you should meet with an attorney to discuss your options. The law imposes liability on manufacturers and others when unreasonably dangerous products hit the market and injure people. Reach out to a product liability lawyer for more information.
Types of Product Defects
The Consumer Protection Safety Commission website lists hundreds of products that pose a hazard to consumers. Everything from children’s clothing to motor vehicles can be unreasonably dangerous and are recalled by the manufacturer. Of course, a product can be defective even if it is not yet subject to a recall.
Generally, a product can be defective in the following ways:
- Defective design. Something about the design makes the product unreasonably dangerous. For example, the legs on a stool might be designed too close together, making it vulnerable to tipping over. When there is a product defect, we tend to see problems along the line because most products are manufactured according to the specifications.
- Manufacturing defect. The product was not made according to specifications. Instead, some defect crept in while the item was manufactured. For example, there might be nothing wrong with the design of a stool, but one of the legs was not properly screwed into the seat.
- Failure to warn/inadequate instructions. Some products might need instructions or warnings to be adequately safe. When the warnings or instructions are inadequate, the product can be unreasonably dangerous.
To have a valid legal case, a consumer cannot use a product in a manner that was unintended. For example, you can’t use a stool as a ladder to help reach something on top of the cupboard or refrigerator.
Also, the defective product must have actually caused your injuries. If a bottle explodes in your hand but you already have a strained back, you might not receive compensation for this pre-existing injury.
Defendants You Can Sue
Florida law allows injured victims to sue any party up and down the stream of commerce who distributed the defective product. In other states, a consumer can only sue the manufacturer, but Florida’s law is much more liberal. Typically, our clients have sued:
- Manufacturers, who designed and manufactured the product
- Wholesalers or distributors
- Retailers, who sold the defective product to the public
Many of our clients sue multiple defendants, which can help improve the chances of receiving a full recovery for their injuries. Contact a lawyer, since Florida’s statute of limitations gives an injured person only 4 years to bring a lawsuit.
Meet with a Boca Raton Product Liability Lawyer
It isn’t always obvious whether a product is defective. Instead, you need an experienced attorney to look the product over. For this reason, it is vital that you don’t immediately throw away a product that injures you. Preserve it so that someone can inspect it.
After receiving medical care, you should schedule an appointment with a seasoned product liability lawyer. Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC, is a leader in Boca Raton in this field, and we offer a free consultation.
