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Accidents
May 18, 2021

What is Product Liability?

Timothy S. Trecek

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:

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?

Because product defects are not always immediately publicized, and because some health effects take time to show symptoms, it is important to discuss your case with an attorney as soon as possible. They can investigate the product, contact industry experts, work with your medical care team, and determine whether you have a product liability claim.

If you believe that you have an injury from a defective product, contact a product liability lawyer from Habush Habush & Rottier. They can help you get the compensation you deserve and prevent the product from injuring others.

Attorney Timothy S. Trecek

Milwaukee, West Bend
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.

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