[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The legal term 'product liability' doesn't mean much to most people, but those same people have likely heard advertisements seeking victims of it. Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with mesothelioma? Developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder? Lithium-ion battery catch fire, resulting in injury? You may be entitled to compensation! When any dangerous, poorly-designed, defective, or misleadingly-advertised product causes injury to consumers, the responsible party can be targeted with a product liability lawsuit.
Product defects resulting in a possible liability claim can occur at any time over a product's lifespan. Design flaws occur before a product is made, manufacturing flaws occur when a product is being made, and marketing flaws (aka misleading advertising) occur after the product is made. The type of product flaw can greatly affect the number of potentially dangerous products in the market, the potential number of victims, and how litigation could be pursued. Recent examples of product defects and when they occur during the lifespan:
- The 737 MAX Boeing passenger plane experienced two crashes tracked to a design flaw in its MCAS flight control system.
- Risperdal, an anti-psychotic medication often prescribed off-label, failed to warn of the risk of gynecomastia, a marketing flaw.
- An outbreak of E. coli was linked to romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, CA. The limited nature of the outbreak is an example of a manufacturing flaw.
