Why Choose Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP?
In product liability cases, plaintiffs must prove that the manufacturer made a defective product, regardless of the liable party’s intent. This item is often challenging to prove, which is why people involved in these cases need legal counsel with experience handling these cases.
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, we can discuss a potential case with you and how it affect’s you and determine your options for seeking compensation. We may be able to identify a product defect and one or more liable parties responsible for the defect.
If we decide to take on your case, we may also collect ample evidence proving defects and liability, along with the extent of the damages you sustained. If we cannot settle during the claims process, we may take your case to court, if needed, with a team of experienced trial lawyers behind you.
When you turn to Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, you’ll have the chance to work with a team of experienced attorneys with a long track record of success. Through the years, we have won over $600 million for our clients, and 98 percent of the cases that have gone to trial. If you need an attorney you can trust to succeed with a potential case, we’re here to help.
If you’re looking for us in Chico, our offices are conveniently situated. Get in touch with us today for your free consultation and find out what steps to take next.
Compensation in Product Liability Cases
Like other liability cases, victims of injuries in product liability cases may recover compensation for different types of damages they sustain. Specifically, these include compensatory damages and, in some cases, punitive damages. Knowing how these damages work can help you determine which might be involved in your product liability case. They’ll ultimately factor into the total amount of recoverable compensation.
Compensatory Economic and Non-economic Damages
The two main types of damages that product liability cases often involve include economic and non-economic damages. Liable parties or courts may award these to compensate injury victims for the losses they suffered because of a defective product.
Economic damages in these cases account for the financial losses that victims suffer, including:
- Medical expenses for treating injuries, including initial treatment, ongoing care, and surgeries
- Lost income resulting from the inability to return to work or work in the same capacity as before the injury
- Lost earning capacity
- Damage to property, including any damage to vehicles, homes, and personal belongings that may result from a defective product
Meanwhile, you may also be able to recover certain non-economic damages that cover the personal losses endured because of a defective product.
These damages could include:
- Physical pain resulting from injuries
- Psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and trauma
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium due to negative impacts on relationships with partners
If a victim dies from injuries, their family may also recover compensation for wrongful death. These damages could include the above damages that the victim experienced before passing and economic and non-economic damages resulting from the person’s death. For instance, you might want to recover compensation for funeral and burial expenses.
Punitive Damages
In rare instances, courts may award punitive damages. These damages punish defendants for gross negligence or intentional acts that cause injuries.
In product liability cases, the courts may award punitive damages if a manufacturer or another liable party knew about any defects in its products and failed to mitigate the defect.
For example, a manufacturer may have failed to disclose that its product contained a harmful substance, leading people to develop cancer because of exposure to this substance. The court may award punitive damages to deter the manufacturer and others from engaging in similar negligent behavior.
If you don’t know how much you might recover in a case, one of our product liability lawyers in Chico may identify and calculate all economic, non-economic, and punitive damages your case might involve.
How Product Liability Cases Develop in Chico?
Product liability cases can develop anywhere and in many situations. Chico is no exception, with many residents and students in this city potentially encountering all types of defective products. After injury resulting from any product in Chico, you need a lawyer who knows how to proceed with a product liability case.
People use many types of products every day in cities like Chico, many of which may contain defects resulting from negligent manufacturers, distributors, retailers, or other liable parties.
Some examples of defective products you might encounter could include:
- Industrial equipment
- Vehicles and vehicle parts
- Medical devices
- Children’s products
- Food products
- Household appliances
- Cleaning products and other chemicals
If you decide to file a product liability lawsuit in Chico, you should avoid waiting too long to do so and contact a Chico product liability lawyer as soon as possible. Like other case types in California, product liability cases have a set statute of limitations. This statute dictates how much time people have to file a lawsuit before the case expires.
In California, the statute of limitations for product liability cases is two years from the injury or discovery of the injury. This means that you must start a case within this period. Otherwise, failing to file on time could make it difficult or even impossible to recover compensation in the future.
Types of Product Defects and Injuries
There are a few main types of product defects that product liability cases may involve.
These include:
- Defectively manufactured products – Some products may contain manufacturing defects that make them unsafe to use and veer from the original design. These defects may develop due to improper material selection, faulty equipment, or other issues during the manufacturing process.
- Defectively-designed products – Products may also have design defects that involve unsafe product designs prior to manufacturing them. Even if manufactured to the design specifications, products with defective designs will be unsafe for consumers. Examples of these defects include batteries that explode when overcharging or vehicles that can easily topple when turning.
- Improper warnings or instructions – A third defect could render a product unsafe, and it’s in the form of improper warnings or instructions that fail to warn users of a product’s dangers or provide guidance for proper use of the product. For instance, pharmaceutical products may not have required warnings on their labels, or a corrosive chemical may not provide instructions for safe use and handling.
These defects can lead to unsafe product use that results in injuries to victims.
Some of the common injuries resulting from defective products include:
- Broken bones
- Organ damage
- Head injuries
- Burns
- Choking
- Cancer and other serious illnesses
If you believe you have sustained injuries because of a defective product, the team at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, may help you file a product liability lawsuit against manufacturers or other liable parties.
Negotiating With Product Liability Insurance Companies
Following an incident involving a defective product, you may be able to file a product liability lawsuit. Often, this would entail going through the liable party’s product liability insurance company to settle a claim and recover compensation.
When working with insurance companies, the process may seem simple, and the adjuster assigned to your case may appear helpful and friendly. Despite this, negotiating with insurers on your own can put you at risk of compromising your case by saying the wrong thing or failing to prove the product was defective.
Adjusters will do what they can to deny your claim or, at the very least, reduce it. They will work even harder to do so if large sums of money are at stake.
To ensure you can effectively negotiate a claim with insurers, working with a Chico product liability lawyer with experience handling these cases is best. The attorneys at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, can guide you through the claims process to succeed. We may also take the case to court if it must go to trial to settle.
What Do You Do if You Sustain Injuries From a Defective Product?
Following exposure to a defective product and discovering any injury or illness that may have resulted, you must take the right steps to build a potential case. The following are the specific steps to take if a defective product causes any injury to you:
Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
The first step is to seek medical treatment, which will provide you with a path to recovery and medical records that may help prove the extent of your injuries. A doctor will likely prescribe a specific treatment and encourage you to continue with it. Obey your doctor’s orders and continue with your designated treatment plan, or you could inadvertently compromise your case.
If you have problems with your current treatment plan or doctor, consult the doctor before making any changes. You may discover a safe alternative that helps you continue recovering and keeps your medical records consistent.
Collect Evidence to Support a Lawsuit
You’ll need plenty of evidence to build a strong product liability case and prove that the product involved was defective. There are multiple crucial pieces of evidence to collect in these cases. These items include the product itself, if possible, receipts received when buying the product, and any instructions or labels that came with it.
However, this evidence may not be easy to obtain if you sustained injuries from a product you bought second-hand, did not purchase, or did not use. In these instances, you should try to get as much evidence as possible through witnesses and other people involved in a potential case.
Speak With an Attorney
Before beginning any product liability case, consult a product liability attorney in Chico to discuss a prospective case. An attorney can meet with you in a free case evaluation to discuss the facts involved and determine if you have a valid claim.
If the attorney decides to handle your case, they can begin providing representation and various services to help you recover compensation.
A good attorney will have the experience and resources needed to handle every aspect of a product liability case.
In the process, your attorney can:
- Complete a thorough investigation into a case
- Identify the specific product defect involved
- Collect as much evidence as possible to prove that injuries resulted from defective products
- Present all relevant evidence to the liable party, including insurance adjusters and courts
- Seek compensation using a specific theory of recovery, such as strict liability
- Take your case to trial if needed
If you need dependable legal counsel, the lawyers at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, can perform all of the above services to seek compensation in a product liability case.
Reach Out to a Chico Product Liability Lawyer Today
Following any type of incident involving a defective product, you may be able to build a product liability case against manufacturers, retailers, and other liable parties. Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, is here to assist if you require reliable, trustworthy Chico product liability attorneys. We can meet with you for a case evaluation at no charge. We can then determine your options if you want to seek compensation for injuries resulting from a defective product.
To find out whether you have a case that our personal injury law firm in Chico can handle, contact us for a free case evaluation or call our office in Chico at (530) 891-1909.
