Your right to hold a manufacturer or distributor liable for injuries resulting from damages or defects on their products is guaranteed by state laws. However, these statutes may vary from one state to another and not all conditions are applicable in every state. To determine the best action for your particular situation, you need to consult a skillful liability claim lawyer.

The Three Kinds of Product Liability Claims

Before pursuing a product liability claim, you may need to have basic understanding of the grounds to use in holding a manufacturer liable for personal injury or damage to property. You can file three kinds product liability cases namely negligence, strict liability, and breach of warranty. Let us briefly explain the process involved in each.

Negligence

You can make a manufacturer liable if there is proof that they have been negligent in selling the product that resulted to your injury. When filing a negligence case, you will need to establish three things to prove your case.

First, you need to find out if the company showed some guarantee of safety in their products. This is easy since every individual or company should ensure that their product is safe.

Second, you need to show evidence of damages. Filing a case is useless if there is no proof of injury. It is not enough to point out the defect in a product you purchased.

Finally, you should give proof that the defective product caused the injury and not some illness or personal neglect.

Strict Liability

In strict liability, there is no need to prove that the manufacturer was aware that the product is dangerous because it was their duty to make sure that their product is safe. However, you still need to provide evidence that the defective product led to the damages.

Breach of Warranty

Product distributors and manufacturers have the duty to assure that their products are safe for public consumption or utilization. Hence, you need to prove that the manufacturer has been fraudulent and failed to go with their product guarantee. This is known as breach of warranty. However, you still need to prove that the injury was caused by the product.

Filing the Claim

When you have established the grounds for pursuing the case against the manufacturer or distributor, you can proceed with the filing of the case. Product liability cases can be complicated and costly. Therefore, it is important to look for a lawyer who specializes in the specific case.

You need not worry about attorney’s fees because most lawyers charge under contingency basis. This means that they will not be paid until a settlement has been reached or when the judge has made a decision on the case.

This may be on a case-to-case basis. However, some lawyers may collect a retainer’s fee for case-related expenses they may incur.

When making a claim, you may opt to file it individually or collectively as part of a class action suit. The second option is ideal if the damages are minimal and victims would not file a case individually.

Finally, some cases agree on an out of court settlement even before the trial proceeds. This is an expensive and difficult procedure because most manufacturers tend not to concede from the demands and accept that their products are dangerous.