The basics of product liability
When you buy a blender, a lawnmower, a washer, a car, a microwave oven or any other product from among the thousands that consumers have to choose from, you have a reasonable expectation that what you buy will perform as it is touted to do. Most of the time, this is exactly what happens. A washer cleans your clothes. A microwave heats your food, and a lawnmower cuts your grass, all just as advertised.
However, from time to time, a product will not only not live up to expectations, but it will also perform in such a way that either causes users to be injured or killed or is shown to be dangerous because it is defective in some way.
When this happens, you have the right to retain a product liability attorney to help you file a lawsuit and collect damages from any harm you have suffered.
With a product liability suit, you may be joining thousands of other plaintiffs in a class action suit, or you may choose to pursue an action individually, seeking compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills, and other related damages. Because these types of cases can be lengthy and complicated, you will need to have an experienced product liability attorney working closely with you, especially since most defendants will be able to apply significant legal resources to oppose you and wear you down.
Product liability cases generally center around products that can be defective in three main ways. They include:
Design defects. Some product shortcomings are built in at the earliest stages when a product is still on the drawing board.
Manufacturing defects. Even if a product is designed well, it must still be manufactured properly, or it will result in a dangerous finished product.
Marketing defects. A product that is designed and built well may be placed on the market with poor instructions or false claims about results, which could lead to injuries or deaths as well.
The Lemle Law Group serves clients in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver City, Brentwood, West Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, Venice, Malibu and other nearby Southern California cities.