What Does Product Liability Mean And How to File Product Liability Claim?

Posted by Simon Esfandi on December 21st, 2018

Defective products, strict liability, negligence, product recalls, reasonable foreseeability… There are lots of confusing legal terms that are floating around when it comes to product liability.

Here at Compass Law Group, PC our Los Angeles County product liability attorneys understand that you, as a consumer, have recently been injured as a result of a manufacturer placing a defective product into your hands.

First of all, don’t panic. You can collect compensatory or even punitive damages after filing a product liability claim. Second of all, don’t waste your time trying to figure out how California product liability laws may apply to your particular case.

Wasting your time reduces your chances of obtaining monetary compensation for your injuries and damages. Instead, seek legal advice of a product liability attorney in Los Angeles County to start building a strong case as soon as possible.

But hey, since you’re already here, you may want to read about the basics of product liability laws before you pick up your phone and call our attorney for a free consultation.

What does product liability mean?

Fact: hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens are injured when using defective products every year, and thousands of deaths are reported each year.

In legalese, what product liability means is basically determining who is responsible for defective and dangerous product, and who can be held liable for injuries and damages sustained when using these defective products.

Under California product liability laws, consumers are entitled to compensation as long as they can prove that the product that caused injuries was used in a reasonably foreseeable way and it was defective before it left the possession of the parties in the distributor chain.

Who to sue for product liability?

When filing a claim with the help of a Los Angeles product liability lawyer, who will assess the full value of your injuries and damages, you can sue multiple parties responsible for manufacturing and selling the defective product.

The following parties in the manufacturing and distributor chain can be named as defendants in a claim when the product doesn’t meet the ordinary expectations required by California product liability laws:

• the primary manufacturer and all manufacturers of components and parts;
• the party responsible for the assembly or installment of the product;
• wholesaler;
• retail store that sold the dangerous product to the consumer (plaintiff).

In order to seek damages for your injuries, you must prove that the product was defective or faulty before you bought it. Meaning: your attorney will have to establish the chain of events and find evidence that the product was unsafe or dangerous when it left the possession of the manufacturer or seller.

You must also present medical evaluations proving that your injuries were sustained as a result of using the defective product in question.

How to file a product liability claim?

Our best product liability attorneys in Los Angeles County at Compass Law Group, PC have outlined a step-by-step guide on how to file a product liability complaint:

• Gather evidence for the complaint (you may want to seek legal advice of a Los Angeles County product liability attorney to know what kind of evidence to look for in your particular case);
• Preserve the product;
• Obtain medical records and proof of injury (as well as proof of lost wages, if any);
• Identify the parties that can be sued;
• Draft a complaint;
• Hire an attorney to file the complaint in Los Angeles County court.
• Let our attorneys take it from here and represent you in your best interests.

Consult our lawyers at Compass Law Group, PC to find out more about product liability. You deserve to collect both economic and non-economic damages for your injuries, damages, lost wages, lost capability (or disability), medical bills, pain and suffering, and other.

Call our Los Angeles County offices at 800-602-4010 or complete this contact form to get a free consultation.