Pittsburgh Defective Products Attorney
Defective Products Lawyers Serving Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Defective Products Attorneys
We all work hard for our money, and when birthdays or holidays come around, we express our appreciation for those around us with gifts purchased using our hard-earned resources. Though we may not expect it, products can fail to work as intended, and this failure sometimes causes harm instead of happiness for the recipient.
Such cases happen more than you may expect. In the case of children’s toys, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports tens of thousands of cases each year of injury-causing defects. However, almost any product can have a harmful defect, making it unreasonably dangerous for consumers.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a dangerous or defective product, you must know the resources available to you. Contact the Pittsburgh defective products lawyers at J.P. Ward & Associates for more information about your rights as a consumer and the possibility of filing a personal injury claim for injuries caused by manufacturing defects.
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As an underlying rule, an injury involving a product must come about through no fault of your own. This means a defective product claim may be found invalid if the product user did something with the item outside of the product’s original intent. So, someone swallowing a can of spray paint does not qualify for a defective product case. An experienced product liability lawyer can help determine if you are eligible to file a defective product claim during your initial free consultation.
Several parties may share the blame for a defective product (a concept known as product liability). Once your case is determined to be valid, our team of product liability attorneys will begin research to build your case. We may be able to find any of the following parties responsible for injuries sustained to you from a design defect or a manufacturing defect:
- Product manufacturer
- Manufacturer of attached components or parts
- Wholesaler
- Retail store
Legally sold products must adhere to a set of standards and expectations for the product’s use. This is a critical point in determining the validity of your defective product claim. If your expectations for the safety of the product and its use were violated, that would have been the reason for the injury.
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What Can Product Defects Look Like?
There are three main defects in a product: design, manufacturing, and marketing defects. Your product liability attorney can determine which defect pertains to your case.
Design defects may originate early in a product’s development. This category usually points to a flaw in the design of a product to cause its intended effect or how a product does what it is supposed to. For instance, a kitchen knife designed without a handle would probably qualify as a design defect.
The next category may concern a product that did not show any flaws in its design. Instead, the product ran into issues during manufacturing, introducing flaws or defects that compromised its usability. So perhaps the kitchen knife did include a handle in the original design, but the screws to keep the handle in place were not properly fastened by the manufacturer.
Marketing defects take place later in a product’s trip to stores and into the hands of consumers. These defects can stem from problems with the product’s label, instructions, or advertising. Essentially, this defect category sets a wrong set of expectations for a given product.
What if a Product I Used at Work Is Defective?
Product defects can still occur with professional or commercial-grade products, placing the involved parties at significant risk of serious injury. Most people do not expect machines and tools to result in catastrophic failure in the workplace.
These events fall under third-party liability claims. Your employer may direct you to apply for workers’ compensation benefits, but the proper circumstances can qualify your case for additional compensation from the liable party.
The Pittsburgh defective products attorneys at the J.P. Ward & Associates have seen a wide variety of liability cases serving victims of product defects from all over Pennsylvania. Allow our experience to stand alongside you in holding the correct parties accountable for all sorts of defective products cases, including:
- Defective industrial equipment
- Insufficient warning labels
- Dangerous chemicals
- Insufficient training
- Improper installation
It can be hard to tell if your product defect claim is valid, so we urge you to remember the resources at your disposal and reach out to our team for a professional opinion.
Important Considerations for Defective Products
When considering legal action for product defects, the case must demonstrate three crucial points:
- Actual injury or damage
- Evidence of defect
- Evidence to prove the defect was the cause of the injury
As a result of these three requirements, product defects can manifest in unexpected and scary ways. Still, you do not have a case for product liability if no injury or damage occurred.
Even if something did happen from a product defect, you still might not have the case of a defective product. Legal action of any kind involves an investment of time and financial resources. Keep in mind that some manufacturing defects cases may end up costing you more money to pursue.
Furthermore, product defect cases have a limited timeframe in which you can file a case (a statute of limitations). The Pennsylvania statute of limitations requires you to file a product defect claim within two years of the incident and fight for compensation from a manufacturer’s failure to warn any reasonable person of a dangerous product.
What Kinds of Products Have Higher Risks?
Despite advancements in American manufacturing of consumer products and marketing practices, accidents still happen, and dangerous products still make store shelves. We do not necessarily recommend clients always look over their shoulders with every product, but we do want you to know that you may be able to file a negligence claim if something goes wrong.
Our team of experienced personal injury lawyers has extensive experience dealing with product defect cases for Pittsburgh residents. Based on this experience with personal injury law, we have observed that the following types of products are more likely to have defects:
- Heavy equipment
- Construction equipment
- Car seats
- Baby products
- Medical devices
- Trade tools
- Saws
- Motorized vehicles
- Lawnmowers
- Escalators and elevators
- Space heaters
- Exercise equipment
- Toys
This list is not intended to imply greater levels of risk for any product. Instead, we aim to inform you of cases that have happened and to let you know you are not alone if you have sustained an injury using any of the above products. Call a defective product lawyer at J.P. Ward & Associates for a free case evaluation.
Contact Our Experienced Pittsburgh Attorneys for Your Defective Product Liability Claim
No one wishes for injury upon themselves or their loved ones. We advise consumers to avoid using products in unintended ways, as this can cause a greater risk of harm. Remember that using a product in a manner outside of its original intent may invalidate your defective product claim and your ability to recover compensation.
If an incident occurs, our Pittsburgh defective products attorneys stand ready to represent you legally to protect your interests and ensure that responsible parties are held liable for their improper warnings for a defective product, false advertising of defective products, or production of harmful products.
Call us today to begin your attorney-client relationship and determine if you may be eligible to recover compensation in the case of a defective product.