As a modern consumer, you have access to a great range of different products. Most of these products are completely safe and any defects are minor and nonthreatening. However, there is the occasional instance where a product has very serious defects that can pose a threat to the consumer. A dangerous defect could make you sick, cause injury and in the worst of cases, it could cause death. When this occurs, the parties that are responsible for making or distributing the product need to be held responsible.
Product liability claims are important for not only getting the compensation that the injured person deserves, but they also help to raise public awareness of the danger and ensure that changes are made to improve consumer safety. A Bakersfield product liability attorney can provide effective representation for a defective product claim.
What is product liability law?
Product liability is a legal concept that means a manufacturer, distributor or designer can be held liable for damages when a defective product causes injury or death. This sounds straightforward, but there is a lot to consider regarding product liability laws.
Being injured by a product is not quite enough to have a claim. Some products have inherent risk in their use and the danger is assumed by the consumer when they use said product. As an example, if you fall from your bike and break your arm, the manufacturer is not necessarily liable. When you purchase a bike, suffering an injury in a fall is a possibility that a consumer should reasonably expect. If however, the bike was defective in a way that made it especially dangerous, then you might have a claim.
Additionally, there is a range of other factors that can limit the liability of a manufacturer or supplier. A claim can be affected by facts like how the product was being used at the time of injury or whether you made any aftermarket modifications to the product. Depending on the situation, some of these factors can completely eliminate any liability on the part of the manufacturer or distributor.
Meet with a qualified product liability lawyer
With product liability law, there are a lot of complicated issues that the average person is very unlikely to understand. Even if you believe that you played some role in causing your own injury, you may still have a legitimate claim. A skilled personal injury lawyer will be able to sort out all of these issues and provide you with advice concerning your legal rights and whether you have a legitimate claim.
The team from the Quirk Law Group is ready to meet with you if you need to discuss your claim. Our Bakersfield product liability attorneys are familiar with these issues and we have the experience to provide you with the representation that you need.