Products Liability Newsletters

"Junk Science" and Products Liability Litigation

If a consumer suffers an injury while using a defective product, he/she can sue the manufacturer or, in some cases, the distributor, seller, or retailer of the product. To recover damages in a products liability lawsuit, the consumer must show that the product was defective and that the defective product caused his/her injury or loss. There has to be a direct connection between the product defect and the injury or loss. In legal terms, this is referred to as causation.

Product Liability Suits Involving Injury Caused by Altered Product

Products liability is an area of law dealing with personal injuries and property damage caused by products that are defectively designed or manufactured. A manufacturer has a duty to exercise ordinary care in designing and manufacturing a product. A product carries an implied promise that it is safe for its intended use.

Product Liability Reform Legislation

Product liability laws were created to protect consumers from unreasonably dangerous and unsafe products. The strict liability, or no-fault, standard used in product liability actions imposes liability on manufacturers and sellers without any evidence of fault. This standard benefits consumers because it encourages manufacturers to take caution in designing and manufacturing products and encourages sellers to take caution in deciding what to sell.

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicles can have design defects and manufacturing defects. If a defect causes harm to a consumer, the manufacturer can be held liable for damages.

Smoke Detector Litigation

Smoke detectors are invaluable in saving lives. It is estimated that three-fifths of all deaths from home fires occurred in homes without smoke detectors. But what happens when a smoke detector fails to alert residents of the presence of smoke? Who is responsible for smoke detector failure?