Before a product can be put on the market, the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring it is safe for consumers to use. In the event they fail to do so, injuries may occur or a person may even lose his or her life. In cases such as this, the consumer may choose to hire a Product Liability Lawyer to assist them in obtaining compensation for their injuries. As these cases can be highly complex, involving emerging technology or medical devices among other things, a legal expert is of great help in gathering the relevant information and building a case.
Manufacturers may be held responsible in one of three ways. First, there may be a design flaw that should have been detected before the product hit the market. Second. the manufacturing process may have altered the design. leading to the product not working as designed or intended. Third, the packaging for the item may not be clear or it may come with instructions that are lacking in clarity. The attorney works with the client to determine the responsibility of the company, as negligence typically doesn’t need to be demonstrated. All the court must determine is if the product is defective, if a person sustained injuries while using it and if these injuries were in part or wholly the result of the product.
As most cases of this type involve a medical component, they may be difficult to prove. The reason for this is injuries may not appear for years to come, or a patient may be misdiagnosed or have his or her injuries attributed to other causes. For example, defective joint replacement parts can lead to a permanent disability, yet this is not discovered until many years in the future. Birth control devices are another industry where many lawsuits of this type have been filed.
The Product Liability Lawyer understands what information must be gathered to prove a case. In addition, they typically have a network of experts they can call on to assist them as they prepare the case. For this reason, anyone who believes they may have been injured as a result of a defective product should seek legal advice immediately.
