Los Angeles Product Liability Attorney
Compass Law Group, LLP, a nationally acclaimed Los Angeles personal injury law firm, has been successfully serving clients with product liability claims for many years. If you or a loved one has suffered serious harm due to a defective product, you should consult an experienced product liability lawyer. Please contact our office today so we can get to work on your claim.
You can glean some sense of the enormity of the product liability issue by checking out the plethora of newspaper and internet notices on the topic and hearing about recall notices on radio and TV. The broad spectrum of possible offending products includes:
- Children’s toys/equipment (cribs, child car seats, baby food, toys)
- Medical devices (transvaginal mesh, hip replacements)
- Medications (both prescription and over-the-counter)
- Household products (talcum powder, cleaning products, appliances, glue guns)
- Contaminated food products (ground beef, poultry, lettuce)
- Auto parts (airbags, brakes, tires, seat belts)
- Tools and equipment (wall staplers, hedge clippers, lawnmowers, leaf blowers)
The important thing to remember is that whatever type of defective product caused your injury, our product liability attorneys will do everything in our power to hold the responsible party accountable. We have the legal knowledge and litigation prowess necessary to stand up to large manufacturing companies both in and out of the courtroom. We are often able to negotiate a settlement without ever going to trial.
More than that, we have the empathy to understand the physical and emotional trauma you are going through as you recover. Because we realize that you may also be under financial stress due to medical bills and lost income, we will not charge you any attorneys’ fees until we win you damages.
In Product Liability Cases, the Principle of Strict Liability Applies
While in most personal injury cases, the plaintiff must prove negligence on the part of the defendant, this is not true in product liability cases. Strict liability means that the manufacturer, distributor, or seller of a defective or dangerous product can be held accountable for the harm caused by the product even if that person or entity was not negligent. That party can be held responsible for your injury even if special care was taken to prevent such accidents.
Although strict liability rules apply, we still have to prove the following:
- The product was defective at the time of purchase
- You were using the product as it was intended at the time of injury
- The product’s defect was the direct cause of your injury
- Your injury resulted in actual damages
You should be aware, however, that if you ignored a written warning on the product’s packaging or on the product itself, or used the product in a way it was not meant to be used, we will not be able to pursue a lawsuit. Also, if you were scared by a close call, but did not receive an injury, it is unlikely that you have a viable case. We will be glad to evaluate whether your case is winnable at your initial consultation.
Types of Product Liability
Following are the three types of product liability:
- Design Defects: the original design was flawed, even before manufacture
- Manufacturing Defects: a hazard was created during the manufacturing process*
- Marketing Defects: the absence of warnings or instructions on packaging
* Depending on the manufacturing method, it is possible only some portion of the products were defective
Since many people may suffer injuries as a result of the same product defect, sometimes a class action suit is generated.
A papercut or blood blister acquired as you open a package or use a device is not a serious injury worthy of a lawsuit. However, if you have received one of the severe injuries listed below, Compass Law’s talented attorneys are ready to fight vigorously for your cause:
- Deep laceration or puncture wound
- Serious burns
- Crush injury
- Bone fracture
- Spinal cord or traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Poisoning
- Disease due to ingestion or exposure (e.g. E. coli, mesothelioma)
If you have tragically lost a loved one to wrongful death following serious injuries due to a defective product, we are here to handle your case with the sensitivity and compassion you deserve.
Damages We Will Fight to Obtain for You
We are all too familiar with the miseries associated with product liability injuries. Depending on the specifics of your case, we will use our legal acuity and negotiation skills to try to win you:
- Economic damages for things like medical and rehabilitation costs and lost income
- Noneconomic damages for pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life
If we can prove that the manufacturer, designer, or marketing company knew of a hazardous defect but passed the product on to consumers anyway, we may be able to win you punitive damages as well. Punitive damages are intended to both punish the defendant and prevent others from exhibiting similar egregious recklessness.
Because most of us trust in the safety of the products we purchase and use, being seriously injured by a defective product is an affront to our sense of decency as well as a hazard to our health and financial stability. At Compass Law Group, we understand that you will need monetary compensation, as well as time, to recover, so we will do everything we can to lessen your economic burden and provide a pathway to a secure and comfortable future for you and your family.
Contact our experienced Los Angeles product liability attorney today for an initial free consultation.
This list isn’t all-inclusive many personal injury suits have been raised based on different factors that aren’t included above. Our team of Los Angeles car accident attorneys can work on cases without anything out of pocket.
We’re old enough to have the necessary experience, yet young enough to use the most cutting-edge technology and tactics, and are determined enough to fight and outsmart the other side, every time.
