What does Product Liability Mean?
The term “product liability” refers to the creator or seller of that product taking responsibility for the injuries their products have caused. Many different government entities cover recalls, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When it comes to children’s products, most product recalls are handled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Unfortunately, defects, mislabeling, poor marketing, and negligence are common and can happen at any level of production—from creating a flawed design and using the wrong materials on the manufacturing floor to publishing misleading claims in advertising.
Common examples include:
- Pharmaceutical Products
- Childcare Products
- Construction Equipment
- Defective Hip Implants
- Farm Equipment
- Household Products
- Asbestos
- Medical Devices
- Car Seats
- Vehicle Components (Computer Errors & Tire Blowouts)
Read more: Types of Personal Injury Claims
What are the Most Common Types of Product Injury?
Defective products can cause any number of injuries, resulting in medical expenses and loss of income. Medical complications, pain, and suffering, changes in quality of life can be ongoing consequences of a product injury. Common injuries, from even benign household products, include:
- Broken Bones
- Burns
- Disfigurement or Dismemberment
- Spinal Cord Injury or Paralysis
- Loss of Sight or Hearing
- Loss of Motor Skills and Muscle Density
Should I Hire a Product Liability Lawyer?
Due to product defects not always being immediately publicized, and that some health effects are not fully known until after some time has passed, it is important to discuss your case with an attorney as soon as possible. They can investigate the product, contact industry experts, and work with your medical care teams, and determine whether or not you have a legal claim.
If you believe that you have a case from a defective product, contact a product liability lawyer who can help you get the compensation you deserve and prevent the product from injuring other people.
Attorney Timothy S. Trecek
In 2020, as lead trial counsel, Tim Trecek obtained a $38.1 million verdict against Hyundai Motor Company, for a defectively designed seat back and head restraint system in his client’s 2013 Hyundai Elantra (see news story). The verdict is the largest single-plaintiff compensatory award in Wisconsin history. The verdict included $7.77 million for the plaintiff’s spouse, another record for Wisconsin verdicts. Based on the significance of his 2020 verdict, Tim was honored to receive the Robert L. Habush, Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, the second time being recognized with said award. He was also awarded The Litigation Counsel of America’s Tommy Malone Outstanding Verdict Award, an honor bestowed upon one attorney in the US whose verdict is extraordinary in amount or significance.
Although he was born, raised, and works in southeastern Wisconsin, Tim has earned a national reputation as a successful plaintiff’s trial lawyer. Tim’s successes have been so noteworthy that they have been chronicled in papers such as the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle and dozens of other publications.