Product liability refers to the area of law concerned with the ability of consumers to hold certain parties responsible for the injuries caused by defective products. Potential defendants in a product liability lawsuit include not just the manufacturer of a defective product but also a distributor, retail store owner, or any other entity in the product’s chain of distribution.
If you have been hurt by a possibly defective product, then be sure to consider contacting a New Port Richey defective products lawyer. A personal injury attorney could review the facts and determine if there is sufficient evidence to begin work on a claim for damages under a theory of product liability.
Types of Product Defects
If someone is injured by a defective product, a New Port Richey defective products lawyer could bring a claim based on one or more of the following categories of product liability:
Manufacturing Defect
A common product liability claim is one that alleges an injury-causing product was defectively manufactured. Manufacturing defects are errors in the assembly process that result in a product different than what was intended. This type of defect creates a product that is more dangerous than consumers expect it to be.
Design Defect
This is a flaw in the way a product has been designed that causes it to be unreasonably dangerous to consumers. Unlike a manufacturing defect, which typically affects only a small percentage of the total number of products produced, a design defect will generally affect all the products of that kind that are made.
Failure to Warn
A third option that a New Port Richey product liability attorney may choose to look into is a party’s failure to provide adequate warnings about a product’s proper use. Failure to warn claims typically involve a product that is not obviously dangerous and was sold to the public without proper warnings or instructions.
Who Can Be Held Liable in Product Liability Lawsuit?
A consumer who is injured by a product can potentially attempt to hold multiple parties liable. One of the first steps a New Port Richey defective products attorney might take in filing a claim is to look closely at a product’s chain of distribution. As a general rule, any of the following parties can be held responsible for injuries linked to a defective product:
Manufacturer
The manufacturer of a defective product can be as big as a multinational conglomerate or as small as an individual working out of their home. If the product alleged to be defective is just a part of a larger product – such as with a car battery – both the manufacturer of the battery and the manufacturer of the automobile can be sued for damages.Retailer
When a retailer sells a product to the public, it implies that the product is safe to use. As such, retailers are potential defendants in product liability lawsuits.
Distributor
If a distributor has played a role in bringing a defective product to market, it may be a defendant in a product liability lawsuit and be on the hook for damages.
Speak with a New Port Richey Defective Products Attorney Today
Being hurt by a defective product can be a horrifying ordeal with lasting consequences. The law of product liability offers you the ability to obtain compensation from any entity in the product’s chain of distribution. Contact a New Port Richey defective products lawyer for information about your legal options.
