It’s hard to estimate how many products the average person uses in their daily life, but items like cars, appliances, and even medication can all have major impacts on someone’s life if they are defective or otherwise dangerous. If you were harmed by a dangerous product, you may have legal options.
The Dearborn product liability lawyers at Christensen Law are ready to represent you in your case for compensation. We’ve helped Michigan injury victims for over 30 years fight back against negligent and careless parties, and we’re ready to help you next.
What Is Product Liability?
Essentially, a product liability case is a personal injury case that seeks to hold a party liable for a defective or faulty product. The items and products that fall under this category are vast, and there can be quite a few liable parties.
When Is a Product Defective?
There are a few categories of defective products, and a product could potentially have multiple types of defects. Products that are fault typically have issues that fall under the following categories:
- Design Defects: Under this category, the product had flaws from the outset. This means that the design is what caused the problems, as opposed to the manufacturing or the marketing. Something in the inherent nature of the design was dangerous, and potentially could have been avoided had the design been different.
- Manufacturing Defects: With a marketing defect, something has gone wrong in the manufacturing process of the item, which lead to your injury. Perhaps the materials were not appropriate for the product and caused the failure, or perhaps the materials were contaminated. It could be that something was not installed correctly and then resulted in your injuries and losses.
- Marketing (or Labeling) Defects: Marketing defects go beyond design and production. These kinds of defects could mean that customers were not properly warned of the harm that could come from use of the product. Prescriptions drugs without out adequate warning labels or side effects listed fall under this category.
Sometimes, there is a breach of warranty case. This means that the item or product had a warranty, and somehow the item does not comply with the guarantee outlined in the warranty. It can be hard to know exactly what made a product defective without a thorough investigation, and our lawyers can help.
What Kinds of Products Can a Product Liability Lawyer Help With?
While any product can be defective, our lawyers are dedicated to helping those who suffered injuries and losses from products. We can help with:
- Defective car and motor vehicle parts: Whether you were in a car accident, truck accident, or a motorcycle or bicycle collision, if a defective part caused the accident you were in, we want to help.
- Prescription medication: Prescription medicines can lead to dangerous and deadly effects when dangerous or defective. Pharmaceutical product liability cases can be quite intricate, as there are potentially many liable parties in such a case.
- Medical devices: Like medication, some medical devices, like CPAP machines or surgical mesh, can cause great harm to users.
- Contaminated or toxic products: One big example of this type of case is the weedkiller Roundup. Claimants alleged that exposure to toxic chemicals in the spray caused cancer, and there was no such warning about this side effect.
These and other defective products can cause harm, so be sure to call us today to discuss your case.
What Does a Dearborn Product Liability Lawyer Do?
Injury cases are already tough to deal with, as you are trying to manage your bills and injuries, but the intricacies of product liability can make this even harder to manage by yourself.
Our Dearborn product liability attorneys are here to help you with your case from start to finish by:
- Seeking the full range of damages you suffered: Like any personal injury case, you suffered some sort of financial and emotional harm from the negligent party. We make sure we review your case to fairly assess any and all losses so we know how much we can pursue. It’s easy to underestimate what you need or miss out on valuable forms of compensation, so let our lawyers handle this on your behalf.
- Filing all necessary documentation and keeping your case on track: There are a lot of moving parts to a personal injury claim or lawsuit, and our lawyers will manage all the tasks and paperwork to keep it moving along with insurers and the courts.
- Communicating with insurers: With this type of case, we will need to stay in contact with the other party and their insurance companies. We’ll protect you from common mistakes people make when talking to insurance companies, and we’ll help take one more thing off your plate so you don’t have to stress about it.
- Negotiating for a settlement: If we can, we will try to negotiate a settlement on your behalf with the other party. Sometimes, these parties are not interested in negotiating with victims, or they offer settlements well below what victims need to recover from their injuries and losses. If these negotiations stall, we will take your case to court.
- Filing your lawsuit and representing you in court: While many cases are settled in the negotiations phase, others make it into the courtroom. Our firm is prepared to stand up to these parties to hold them liable for your harm, and we won’t give up until you get a satisfactory settlement.
Our Michigan product liability team has what it takes to protect you and win you the settlement or verdict you need.
Deadlines for a Product Liability Lawsuit in Dearborn
According to Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 600.5805(12), you have approximately three years from the date of the incident to file your lawsuit for product liability. If you miss this window, you may not be able to seek damages.
While three years may seem like a long time, injury cases can take a long time to navigate, particularly when you are dealing with big companies. This time will go by quickly, so we highly recommend that you reach out to our firm as soon as possible.
Some exceptions may apply to your case, but there is no guarantee you will be able to extend the statute of limitations.
Damages Available to Product Liability Victims in Dearborn
Every dangerous or defective product case is different. While many share the same categories, the extent of your losses can be more significant than another victim’s or you simply have different needs after your injury. Here are some damages we could pursue on your behalf:
Medical Expenses
Medical bills and expenses are the most common form of damages that victims need. They may even be one of the most significant expenses, depending on the nature of the injury. We will make sure to get you compensation for any and all medical bills, including emergency care, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, medical devices, and other expenses. Sometimes, your injuries may be catastrophic, and you will need long-term medical care. We will make sure to get all current and future expenses associated with your injuries.
Emotional Damages
Not only are you suffering physically, but you may be struggling emotionally and mentally. You are going through a lot, and we aim to get you compensation that acknowledges your physical pain and emotional suffering, your anguish, and any impacts the incident has had on your life and relationships.
Lost Income and Future Earning Potential
After a defective or dangerous product harms you, you will likely be out of work as you heal from your injuries. This means essential income is slipping away from you, and you may struggle with all of your bills. We make sure to get you any lost income, wages, tips, or salary that you might have earned had you been able to work.
Unfortunately, some injuries may never fully heal, and they may affect your ability to work. Whether you can no longer work, or if you must take a different job because you cannot work your old one, we can make sure to account for this lost potential.
Christensen Law Has Helped Product Liability Victims for Decades
At Christensen Law, we have spent over 30 years honing our craft and making sure injury victims get what they need after someone’s negligence harmed them. When going up against big manufacturers and other parties who put out defective items, it’s easy to feel discouraged and give up.
With Christensen Law, you have a steadfast ally who is interested in getting justice rather than settling for less. We believe in making sure your voice is heard and that your future is secure. With record-setting outcomes and a wealth of resources at our firm’s disposal, you can rest assured that you are in good hands. Our Dearborn personal injury attorneys are ready to help.
Please, call Christensen Law for help from our Dearborn product liability lawyers. We offer free consultations, and you can discuss your case with our team. You do not pay us until we win, so you have nothing to lose. Let us tell your story.
