Federal Way Product Liability Lawyer

The attorneys at Ladenburg Law have experience in helping clients in Federal Way, WA who have been harmed by defective products. We refer to this area of law as product liability, and these cases are different than some of the other personal injury cases we handle. To learn more, get in touch with a Federal Way product liability lawyer today.

What Kinds of Defective Products Have your Federal Way Attorneys Handled Before?

Unfortunately, any product can become a defective product that injures someone. To illustrate, here are a few kinds of products we’ve encountered that have hurt our clients:

• Vehicle parts, such as tires and air bags
• Baby and nursery equipment
• Toys
• Playground equipment
• Unsafe food
• Tools
• Construction equipment
• Dangerous drugs

Whatever the defective item is it must have been available to purchase on the market. For instance, you could bring a claim against a manufacturer for a toy that injured your child. You couldn’t bring a product liability claim against a relative for a toy they made that hurt your child.

You don’t need to have been the original purchaser of the item to bring a claim forward. If the item was purchased for you as a gift or if you bought it second-hand, you may still have a claim. The item just needs to have been available on the market at some point in its history.

How are Product Liability Cases Different?

There are two things that make products liability cases unique from other types of cases our Federal Way attorneys handle. Here’s the good news: both favor the injured party.

1. “Res Ipsa Loquitur.” This is Latin for “the thing speaks for itself.” Put another way, it means that by looking at the object it’s clear something is wrong. If res ipsa applies to one of our cases, our attorneys don’t even have to prove the product was defective. The responsibility shifts to the manufacturer to prove that it wasn’t.
2. Strict Liability. With most personal injury cases, we must prove that someone else was negligent and caused your injuries. In a defective product case, we only need to show that the product was defective and injured you. We don’t have to prove how or why it was defective. Strict liability helps our clients win settlements without having to prove the fault of the manufacturer.

Even though product liability lawsuits favor the injured, make no mistake. These are complex cases that require skilled investigation and expert understanding of the law to bring to trial. In addition, manufacturers will come to the table with aggressive legal representation to minimize their losses. For these reasons, we do not recommend you bring a products liability case forward without an attorney on your side.

The Federal Way attorneys at Ladenburg Law have the experience and know-how to navigate defective products cases.

Who will Pay for the Injuries I Got from a Defective Product?

Errors can happen at one or more stage of bringing a product to market. These stages include:

1. Design: A product doesn’t even have a chance to be safe if a key error is made in the design phase. All products that are manufactured from an unsafe design have the potential to injure consumers.
2. Manufacturing: In this scenario, an error is made by a human or machine during the assembly process. Unlike a design error, a manufacturing error may impact only a certain number of products.
3. Marketing: Companies are responsible to warn consumers about any dangers of their products. If they fail to do so and someone is hurt, they can be held liable.

In order to get to market, a product passes through several hands. In products liability, any or all parties in that chain may be liable. These include:

• Suppliers
• Manufacturer
• Wholesaler
• Distributor
• Retail Store

As a victim of a defective product, you do not have to determine who or when the error was made. This is one of our jobs, as product liability attorneys. We’ll do a careful investigation to discover what happened and pursue justice on your behalf.

If I’ve Been Hurt by a Defective Product, What Should I Do?

Any time you’re injured, you should seek medical care. Visiting your doctor ensures you recover faster and helps establish a basis for your claim.

After you’ve seen a doctor, here are a few additional steps you should consider taking. If you’re unable to do complete some of them, ask a family member or witness for help.

1. Don’t throw away the product: We understand that you might wish to throw away or repair the defective item. But the item in its current state is key evidence. Keep it as is.
2. Collect any related items and receipts: Gather up the original packaging, warranty information, receipts, accessories, and other related items.
3. Take photos and notes: Take as many pictures as you can of your injuries, the circumstances of the accident, and the product. As soon as you’re able, go somewhere quiet and write down what happened. Our memories are not reliable, so writing down the incident as soon as you can is helpful.
4. Collect witness information: Were there any witnesses to the accident? If so, get their names and contact information.
5. Keep your follow-up medical appointments: We understand that your life may feel very disrupted, but please don’t skip or cancel doctor appointments. Doing so delays your healing and can discredit your claim.

Please involve our Federal Way product liability lawyers as soon as possible. By calling us to help early on, we can guide you through the process and access evidence while it’s still fresh. This helps our chances in recovering the best settlement we can for you.

What is the Value of My Defective Products Case?

There’s no easy answer to this question. In our experience, settlement amounts vary greatly because every case is different, with many variables.

What we can tell you is that we work to recover the following damages for our clients:

• Medical costs
• Lost wages
• Disability
• Pain and suffering

During our initial consultation, we’ll want to hear how the injury has impacted your life and your finances. This helps us understand the potential value of your claim. After our meeting, we’ll be able to determine the best next steps, including if a products liability lawsuit is right for you.

I Don’t Know if the Product Was Defective – Can you Still Help?

We get it. Sometimes you’ve suffered an injury and you’re not completely sure if it was due to a defect or bad luck.

This is where our free consultations may be helpful. There’s no cost to tell one of our experienced attorneys what happened. If we think that a product defect was responsible for your injuries and we choose to work together, we’ll gather evidence and identify who’s responsible. You can also count on us to be honest if we think you’ve just had a case of bad luck.

Either way, you can walk away from our meeting having received free legal advice about your situation.

Call our Federal Way Product Liability Attorneys Today

Don’t delay. There is a limited window of time you can file a product liability claim in the State of Washington (RCW 4.16.080). Call our Federal Way product liability lawyer a call to schedule your free consultation.

If you’re unable to make it to our office, please let us know. One of our attorneys is happy to meet you at your home or hospital.