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California Product Liability Attorney

In the United States, over 700,000 people each year are injured or killed by unsafe products.

While the Consumer Products Safety Commission requires manufacturers to report their defective products, far too often manufacturers knowingly allow dangerous products to enter the marketplace.

A product liability lawsuit allows people harmed by unsafe products to take action against the designers, manufacturers, and sellers of unsafe products for their decision to prioritize profits over safety.

At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, our product liability attorneys have represented hundreds of clients injured by defective or unsafe products. Through product liability lawsuits, we have not only won for our clients the compensation they deserved, but we have also played a role in making our communities safer.

We are proud that our work has motivated manufacturers to re-engineer unsafe products and improve their safety practices—changes that have no doubt prevented injuries and saved lives.

Call (855) 248-5659 for a free case evaluation
What is a product liability case?

The designers, manufacturers and sellers of products are responsible for any harm caused by a defect in a product.  A product is any item that can be sold–from medical instruments to food items to automobile components and everything in between.

A product can be defective for several different reasons–and these reasons may not always be obvious.  For example, a product may have a manufacturing defect that would only be apparent to a metallurgist or materials scientist after he or she inspected the failed product. Similarly, a product may have a design defect that would only be apparent after an engineer reviewed the plans for the product.  Discussing your product liability claim with an experienced lawyer will best preserve your ability to obtain fair compensation for your injuries.

There are three main types of defective products:

Defectively manufactured products

A product contains a manufacturing defect if the product as it is built differs from the manufacturer’s design.  In other words, a product that becomes unsafe because it was not made as it was supposed to be is a defectively manufactured product.

Examples of defectively manufactured products include:

  • A pressure cooker that exploded because the cooker was made with steel weaker than was called for in the design;
  • A car with airbags that overinflated because of a moisture leak caused by a flaw in the manufacturing of the inflator housing;
  • A retreaded tire that was not properly cured because the worker who cured the tire did not follow the proper procedures.

Defectively-designed products

A product has a design defect if does not perform as safely as the consumer would have expected it to perform or if the dangers of the design do not outweigh the benefits of the design.  A manufacturer, distributor, or retailer is liable if a defect in the manufacture or design of its product causes injury while the product is being used in a reasonably foreseeable way.

Examples of defectively manufactured products include:

  • An electric blanket that electrocutes customers when turned on too high;
  • A battery that explodes when overcharged;
  • A rice cooker whose steam vent clogs when being used causing it to explode;
  • A car that has a tendency to roll when turning;

Improper Warnings or Instructions

Even if a product is designed and manufactured properly, it can still be unsafe if the manufacturer fails to provide adequate warnings or instructions for its use.

Examples of defectively manufactured products include:

  • A health care product that does not have the necessary warnings on its label;
  • A corrosive paint-removing chemical which is sold without adequate instructions for safe handling and use;
  • An electric teal kettle which is packaged without the necessary warnings concerning its steam valve

Here’s how we can help with product liability claims:

  • We advance all costs necessary to investigate and litigate our client’s case.
  • We rely on our team of medical and investigative experts to evaluate whether the product in question was defectively designed or manufactured, or if inadequate warnings were provided.
  • We gather evidence to show that our client’s injury was, in fact, caused by the defective product.
  • We present this evidence to the at-fault party. We then attempt to negotiate a fair resolution that takes into consideration all of the ways our client’s life has been impacted.
  • We then present this evidence. This presentation could be to an insurance adjuster, to a defense attorney representing the party at fault or to a judge or jury if the case goes to trial.
  • If the at-fault party does not accept our demand, we refuse to settle for less than what our clients’ case is worth. We use our team of experts and our skill as trial lawyers to prove to a jury exactly why our clients deserve full compensation for their losses.
  • Our clients only pay us if we win.

Representing people who have been hurt by dangerous or defective products is what we do.

Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, has obtained more than $600 million for our clients– including clients who have been injured by defective products. We have built a reputation for handling the most complex and high stakes personal injury lawsuits involving catastrophic injury, permanent disability, disfigurement, or wrongful death.

If you need our help, don’t hesitate to reach out.  It costs nothing to speak with us, and what you tell us is confidential.

I was in a terrible auto accident, but the attorneys at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel were very caring and listened to what I had to say. They kept me updated on what I needed to do and what was happening. I always felt they were working their very best for me. They were very successful in my case.

~ Sandra P.

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