Defective Products

Phoenix Arizona Defective Products Attorney

Modern living is arranged in such a way that we are largely dependent upon goods and services provided by others. Stop and think for a moment about all of the products you use in a typical day. From food and drink to medical products to personal transportation to public infrastructure, these items easily number into the dozens and even hundreds.

For the most part, products serve their intended purpose safely and effectively. But there are tens of thousands of instances each year of products killing and injuring Americans. You can’t, obviously, bring a lawsuit against a lawnmower, a replacement hip or a diet pill—but you can take legal action against the individuals responsible for bringing such products to market through what’s known as a “product liability” lawsuit.

You don’t have to be the buyer or user of a product in order to file a product liability lawsuit, and there are many potentially responsible parties for a given defective product injury. An experienced product liability attorney can help you determine who may be liable and what types of compensation may be available for an injury caused by a defective product.

Among all personal injury lawsuits, product liability cases generate some of the highest verdicts and settlements. The Resendez Injury Law Group can’t promise you a million dollar award, but we can promise to handle your case with competence, honesty and personalized attention.

Speak to Phoenix personal injury attorney Rudy Resendez directly and learn more through a free case evaluation. Call (602) 824-9444 or >send us a message to schedule a consultation.

A Closer Look at Product Liability Claims

Each year in the United States approximately 60,000 product liability lawsuits are commenced. These lawsuits can generally be broken down into the following categories:

Consumer products

In a recent year an estimated 38,000,000 people sought medical attention for an injury related to a consumer product. Products such as stairs, beds, furniture, sports and exercise equipment and recreational vehicles (ATVs, mopeds) are common culprits. Lawsuits against automakers and Big Tobacco, as well as the infamous McDonald’s hot coffee case, also fall into this category.

Medical products

More product liability lawsuits are filed against prescription drug makers than against all other industries combined. Prominent medical product litigation from the last several years includes the painkiller Vioxx, the diet drug Phen-Fen and metal-on-metal replacement hips. Over-the-counter drugs and health supplements are other types of potentially-harmful medical products.

Industrial and Construction Products

A 2007 bridge collapse in Minnesota that killed 13 people and injured 145 resulted is a well-known example of a defective industrial/construction product lawsuit. Investigators attributed the disaster to a design flaw. In addition to design deficiencies, defective materials, shoddy workmanship and subsurface deficiencies (which can result in flooding or landslide losses) are examples of construction defects.

Commercial Products

Dangerous commercial products that injure people include toxic substances such as asbestos and pollution from refineries and other commercial facilities. Other examples of commercial product lawsuits include cases against building supply manufacturers, raw material providers and airline companies.

Who Might Be Liable?

The “chain of distribution” refers to the numerous parties who make, sell and market a product to the public. Depending on the type of product that injured you and how the injury occurred, you may be able to name any (or all) of these parties as a defendant in a product liability lawsuit:

• The manufacturer
• The retailer
• Wholesalers and distributors
• Repair/service shops

The typical product liability lawsuit names more than one defendant. The Resendez Injury Law Group will help you to identify all parties along the chain of distribution who may have contributed to your defective product injury.

What Must I Prove?

A product liability claim usually makes one of the following claims:

• That the product was defectively designed (even though it may have been properly manufactured)
• That the product was defectively manufactured (despite the fact there are no problems with its design)
• That the product was improperly marketed (because it did not provide warnings not to use the product in a certain way that could cause injury)

Note that a near-miss injury (where you were almost injured but escaped harm) doesn’t qualify you for a product liability case. Actual harm—whether to your body or property—must have occurred.

Injured By a Dangerous Product? Get Great Legal Service from Resendez Law.

The vast majority of personal injury lawsuits settle out-of-court, which usually favors businesses and their insurance companies. Rudy Resendez, however, has years of experience negotiating high-stakes contracts with international corporations. He puts his negotiation skills to use for clients to secure the highest-possible settlements but also won’t hesitate to litigate and work with litigation experts to achieve the best outcome.

You have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury lawsuit, so it’s critical to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. To get started with your free consultation, contact the Resendez Injury Law Group.

From our Phoenix offices we serve clients in Peoria, Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, Surprise, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek and all other areas of Arizona including Flagstaff, Yuma and Gila Bend.

For More Information:

• United States Courts:Annual Report of the Director
• New York Times: Faulty Design Led to Minnesota Bridge Collapse, Inquiry Finds
• U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission: Consumer Product-Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States