On an average day, most of us use or come into contact with hundreds, if not thousands, of consumer products, many of them designed to make like easier. Unfortunately, however, an alarming large number of people are injured by dangerous or defective products around the country each year, including many right here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many who are injured sustain relatively minor personal injuries and are able to make a full physical recovery. Others are injured much more severely, and for these individuals, their injuries can change the trajectory of their entire lives.
The skilled Virginia product liability attorneys at our firm have helped many injured clients seek damages in defective product claims with a high degree of success. Our commitment to personal service and our tenacious work ethic has allowed us to successfully recover millions of dollars for injury victims, including those hurt by defective products in Virginia. We will work hard to get you the full compensation allowed under the law.
What Are the Most Common Types of Product Liability Claims?
There are many ways in which a consumer product or equipment could potentially injure someone. In most cases, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure the product is safe and free from dangerous flaws. When you have been injured, however, it is up to you and your attorney to demonstrate that the product caused your injuries.
In the realm of product liability law, there are three basic types of product defects. Almost every product liability claim can be categorized as one of the following:
- Design Defect: A design defect affects the entire line of products and often escape notice earlier thanks to inadequate testing processes. An example of a design defect may include a box fan with a grate-style guard on the front. The grate’s openings, however, are large enough to allow a child’s hand to fit through and into the blades of the fan.
- Manufacturing Defect: A manufacturing defect can ruin an otherwise safe design. This type of danger is introduced during the production process and may include counterfeit parts, substandard materials, poor workmanship, and a lack of quality control. For example, if the design specifications of a piece of farm machinery required high-quality steel bolts, but to cut costs, cheaper, lower-quality bolts made from a cheaper alloy were used, and a bolt fails and injures someone, the injured person could bring suit based on the manufacturing defect.
- Marketing Defect / Failure to Warn: Some products are inherently dangerous, no matter how well they are designed and manufactured. Cutting tools, fireworks, and cleaning chemicals are just a few examples of products that can cause injury or death if used improperly, despite a flawless design. For products such as these, however, the manufacturer or distributor must provide adequate warnings and safety instructions for their use.
Protecting Your Rights at Every Turn
Collecting compensation for an injury caused by a defective product can be extremely difficult, as it is often tough to pinpoint how and why the defect occurred. This is why it is so important to work closely with an experienced product liability attorney. Your lawyer can help you trace the history of the product in question to determine how it became defective and which party or parties might be held liable. Depending on the situation, you may be able to recover compensation from the manufacturer of the product as well as the product’s distributor. In certain situations, even the retailer who sold the product to you might share in the liability for your injuries.
Work With an Experienced Virginia Product Liability Attorney
If you or your child has been injured by dangerous or defective product, contact the skilled Hampton defective product lawyers from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp. At our firm, we are dedicated to helping you get the compensation you deserve and preventing similar injuries to others in the future. We are proud to offer a free, in-person consultation in which you can ask questions and get the answers you need regarding your case. Our team will do everything we can to ensure a favorable outcome for you and your family, just as we did in securing a $2.5 million jury verdict for the surviving family of a Chesapeake, VA man who was killed when his defective lawn mower exploded. Call (833) 997-1774 to speak with a member of our team today.
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For over twenty years, Mr. Sharp's law practice has focused on serious personal injury claims, including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury claims. He also handles nursing home neglect cases and medical malpractice claims. Mr. Sharp has counseled numerous clients about the complexities concerning litigation of both pediatric and adult brain injury. Mr. Sharp has been awarded the AV Preeminent ranking by Martindale, the highly respected and widely utilized directory of lawyers throughout the world. AV Preeminent status is awarded only to those lawyers who achieve the highest level of success within the legal field and is a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers and Judges rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. He has also been recognized as a "Best Lawyer" by U.S. News for personal injury, an accolade awarded to only a small fraction of lawyers. Mr. Sharp has also been recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the top personal injury lawyers in Virginia. This recognition is awarded only to those lawyers who have achieved the highest level of success and have been recognized by their peers as demonstrating the highest level of professional excellence.
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