Orange County Product Liability Lawyer

Orange County Product Liability Attorney

Consumer products must be safe when used for their intended purposes. It is a simple-enough principle, but it is not always followed. Products such as toys, drugs and cars regularly make the news in Orange County newspapers when they injure innocent consumers.

When products injure their users, products liability laws are there to make sure that the manufacturers and sellers pay the damages. Nobody should suffer in silence. If you or someone you care about has been the victim of a defective or dangerous product, seek legal advice immediately. An Orange County products liability lawyer can help you recover what is due to you.

Orange County Lawsuits for Injuries from Defective Products

A victim who is injured by a defective product has the right to bring a product liability lawsuit against those who were responsible for the defect. Generally, the product liability lawsuit will be brought against one or more of the companies involved in designing, making and selling the product. The product liability lawsuit will be based on one or more legal theories.

• Negligence. The maker or seller of a product is negligent when it does not use reasonable care to ensure that the product is safe. The lapse in reasonable care may occur in the design, manufacture or testing of the product.
• Breach of warranty. Products often come with a warranty guaranteeing they will function in a certain way. If the product does not work as intended and the consumer is injured, the consumer may recover damages in a product liability action.
• Strict product liability. Strict liability requires no proof that the manufacturer was negligent or broke a promise. The injury victim need only prove that the product was used as intended and an inherent defect resulted in injury.

In a product liability lawsuit, the strict liability theory is advantageous in that it is easiest for a product liability lawyer to prove. The primary proof necessary is that the product was, in fact, defective. A product liability lawyer can prove the defect in one of three ways:

• Design defect. This is a defect in the product's design. All products of that model, from that manufacturer, will likely have the same defect. If the danger could have been reduced or eliminated with a better design, a design defect may be shown.
• Manufacturing defect. This occurs as the product is being produced or assembled. The manufacturing defect may affect only one or a portion of the products in a given lot. Inspectors usually watch for manufacturing defects and discard defective products. But if these products enter the market and injure someone, the manufacturer may be held liable.
• Failure to warn. If it is foreseeable that a product could be used in a dangerous way, manufacturers must warn against this. This is why hair dryers carry warnings of electric shock if they get wet, for example. If warnings are inadequate, a failure-to-warn defect may be found.

Monetary Recovery in an Orange County Product Liability Lawsuit

The types of damages an Orange County product liability attorney might seek in a product liability lawsuit depend on the type and severity of the victim's injuries. Product liability damages might include:

• Medical costs.
• Home care costs.
• Lost wages.
• Pain and suffering.
• Property damage.

In some product liability cases, the victim might also be able to recover punitive damages. These damages are awarded only in cases where the manufacturer deliberately ignored evidence of potential harm from its products. This type of product liability damage award is made largely to punish the wrongdoer and to keep other manufacturers from deciding to cut corners at the cost of consumer safety.

Preparing to File an Orange County Products Liability Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has been injured by a faulty product, seek legal advice promptly. You may have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit. Be sure to preserve whatever evidence you can, including the dangerous product, the product's container or packaging, written warranties and instructions, pictures of injuries and medical reports.

Seek an Orange County attorney who is experienced in products liability claims. The attorney will investigate your case and advise you of your legal option.

The lawyers at The Reeves Law Group are well known for their more than 20 years of experience in the field of personal injury and product liability law. They have successfully represented many victims in product liability lawsuits. For a free consultation concerning a product liability claim, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or e-mail us.