Chattanooga Product Liability Attorneys
As consumers, we trust that the products we purchase are manufactured with our safety in mind, using the quality materials, tested technology, and strong attention to details. Manufacturers of consumer products usually have something else in mind when they produce products for purchase, however - money. The desire for maximizing profits and making shareholders happy drives manufacturing companies to produce their products as quickly and cheaply as possible, be it a motor vehicle, children’s toy, piece of furniture, power tool, clothing, household cleaner, household appliance, or even a food product. Companies that do not fulfill their responsibility to offer safe products for consumer-use may be held accountable if an injury results.
Types of Product Liability Cases
There are many instances where a manufacturing company may be held liable for injury or illness caused by their product. Some of these include:
- Defective manufacturing. When a product is put together incorrectly, is made with cheap or damaged materials, or parts and pieces are insecurely fastened, it threatens the stability of the entire product.
- Poor or hazardous design. A product that is poorly or hazardously designed may be a heavy-duty household cleaner with an “easy-pour” feature that leaks harmful chemicals and fumes, a toy with small, detachable parts that children can put in their mouth, an object covered in lead paint, or a motor vehicle that requires larger than normal tires which cause performance or maneuvering problems.
- Contamination. This is most often connected to medications and food products.
- Misrepresentation or false advertisement. When a product or drug does not do what it was advertised to do, and a person suffers injury or illness while trying to use it as it was advertised, the manufacturing company may be held responsible.
- Mislabeling. Not identifying harmful drug side-effects or providing drug warnings, miscalculating drug dosage amounts, providing incorrect assembly directions for furniture, and providing incorrect heating instructions for a frozen dinner are all examples of products being mislabeled.
Consequences of Defective Products
Defective and dangerous products can cause a number of accidents, injuries, illnesses, and even death. Defective and unsafe products exist in every industry and have the potential to cause motor vehicle accidents, falls, allergic reactions, exposure to noxious chemicals or other harmful substances, carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical accidents, explosions, fires, drowning accidents, choking accidents, and much more. Because dangerous and defective products are so varied, the injuries and illnesses they cause are likewise widespread. Common illness and injury, fatal and nonfatal, associated with defective products include:
- Drowning;
- Choking;
- Head injury;
- Brain injury;
- Spinal cord injury;
- Fractured bones;
- Lacerations;
- Organ failure;
- Burn injuries;
- Bruises;
- Scrapes;
- Heart attack;
- Stroke; and
- Foodborne illness.
Regardless of what the product is and what industry it comes from, if you have been injured or harmed by a product that is manufactured or designed poorly, malfunctioning, or otherwise defective the responsible party may be held liable for the harm their defective product caused.
Protecting the Rights of Consumers
It is the duty of manufacturers to provide consumers with safe and reliable products. If they do not, then we believe it is their duty to compensate consumers for the illnesses and injuries their defective products cause. Our skilled Tennessee product liability attorneys at Massey & Associates, P.C., have the experience and resources necessary to successfully recover the compensation you deserve. We believe that negligent parties should be held accountable for the injuries they cause and will work diligently towards attaining what you are entitled to. To speak to one of our Chattanooga personal injury lawyers and learn more about the product liability cases we handle, please call us today at (423) 697-4529.
