Houston Product Liability Lawyer

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Background of Product Liability Law

Product liability refers to a broad legal term covering manufacturers, distributors, and sellers for injuries caused by defective products they make or distribute. At its core, product liability laws aim to ensure consumer safety by holding manufacturers responsible for these products.

Manufacturers have an obligation to produce safe and defect-free products. Otherwise, it may lead to injury claims against them even if they weren’t aware of any defects themselves. Manufacturers are presumed to know about defects that would have been identified through reasonable testing and inspection practices.

There have been many notable incidents and cases which have brought to light product liability injuries, raising public awareness. Some of the more renowned examples include:

Ford Pinto Case

In 1978, Ford Motor Company was held responsible for injuries caused by its Pinto car due to its design defect, which made it susceptible to rear-end collisions, often leading to fires.

The Dalkon Shield Case

In 1974, A.H. Robins Company was found liable for injuries caused by their intrauterine device known as Dalkon Shield, which contained a design flaw making it vulnerable to pelvic infections.

Tylenol Poisonings

In 1982, seven people died after taking Tylenol laced with cyanide. This incident resulted in the recall of all Tylenol products and raised awareness regarding product safety issues.

These cases and incidents have served to raise awareness about the hazards posed by defective products and highlight their importance while shaping product liability law and holding manufacturers responsible for any negligence on their part.

Once injured by a defective product, it’s essential that legal advice be sought immediately. At Husain Law and Associates Truck Accident Lawyers, we can assist in investigating your case, gathering evidence, and filing a lawsuit on your behalf. Furthermore, we can negotiate with manufacturers on your behalf and represent you in court proceedings if needed.

Product Liability Injury Types

Various kinds of product defects could lead to product liability claims, some of the more commonly seen examples being:

Design Defects

A design defect refers to any flaw in the product’s design which renders it unreasonably dangerous. Examples could include having sharp corners on toys that could cut children or an automobile that’s more prone to overturn.

Failure to Meet Safety Standards

Products can also be considered defective if they do not adhere to applicable safety standards; for instance, a toy that does not meet flammability or choking hazards safety requirements could be considered flawed.

Failure to Warn

This can arise when manufacturers do not provide sufficient warnings about potential hazards presented by their product, for example, a lawnmower manufacturer that fails to warn users about the dangers of operating it near children.

Manufacturing Defects

A manufacturing defect refers to any issue with the product that occurs during its creation process, such as missing pieces in toys or cars with compromised parts assembly. For instance, these errors might include missing buttons or insufficient fasteners on chassis assembly lines.

Houston Product Liability Lawyer: Types of Lawsuits in Product Liability Injury Cases

The lawsuits that can be brought in product liability injury cases include:

Strict Liability

Strict liability is a legal theory that holds manufacturers liable for injuries caused by their products, even when there was no negligence involved.

To establish strict liability, plaintiffs must establish three criteria – defective product causing injury to user & usage as intended or reasonably expected.

Negligence

Negligence is a legal theory that holds individuals liable for injuries they cause by failing to act as any reasonable person would in similar situations. For negligence to exist, the plaintiff must prove that their defendant owed them a duty of care which was breached; and this breach caused their injuries as well as damages being sustained as a result.

Breach of Warranty

A warranty is an agreement made by a seller to a buyer regarding the quality or performance of their product, which, if breached, could allow for legal recourse from both parties involved.

To establish breach, it must be proven that there was no compliance with the warranty, that the you relied upon this promise, and that they suffered damages as a result of such breach.

Houston Product Liability Lawyer: Determining If You Have a Product Liability Injury Case

To establish product liability claims, do the following

Identify The Defect

The first step is to recognize the defect that caused your injury. Defects include:

Design Defects

Design defects refer to flaws in product designs that make them unreasonably hazardous, such as sharp edges on toys that could potentially cut children.

Manufacturing Defects

Manufacturing defects (or “manufacturing faults”) refer to any flaw in a product that occurs during its manufacturing process, for instance, a toy missing pieces or an automobile that was assembled using subpar components.

Failure to Warn

Failure to warn of defects occurs when the manufacturer fails to provide sufficient warnings about the risks posed by their product. For instance, when manufacturing lawnmowers, they often fail to warn users about operating them near children and could even endanger them.

Establish Causation

Once you have identified the defect, the next step will be establishing causation – in other words, you need to show how the product caused your injury.

To establish causation, you will need to demonstrate that a defect was present when you used the product and caused your injury. In addition, you need to prove that there was no other possible factor that contributed to your incident.

Document your Damages

Once your injuries have occurred, the final step should be documenting your losses, both financially and non-financially. This requires gathering evidence that attests to what losses have resulted from them.

• Financial losses could include medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage

• Non-financial losses include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and the diminished enjoyment of life.

If you have been injured by a defective product, it is crucial that you seek legal advice from an attorney specializing in product liability cases.