You or a family member have been seriously hurt when using a product. You read and followed the instructions and, yet, it malfunctioned in some manner that caused you or your family member to suffer a permanent injury. How do you know if you have a valid claim against the company that made the product?
Under Georgia law, a manufacturer can be held liable for injuries if the product was “defective” and that defect caused the injury. So, what makes a product defective?
The answer to that question in large part depends on the type of product involved. Machines are different from medicines; airplanes are unlike ladders; and automobiles are not the same as chemicals. Every product has the potential to cause an injury, so the mere fact that a bad event occurred does not make the manufacturer liable for damages. The product has to be shown to have been made with the potential for harm in one of two ways: It built or made with a design flaw or was it made according to acceptable plans, but something went wrong during the manufacturing process? In some instances, the instructions that accompany the product can be the basis of liability if they fail to adequately explain how to use the product or warn of known dangers when using it.
Because there are literally thousands of different types of products and thousands of state and federal laws and regulations that govern the obligations of a manufacturer in a particular area, it is essential that you contact a lawyer that does this type of work on a regular basis. Only an experienced trial lawyer who has sued manufacturers for many years will understand what needs to be done to prepare a claim for trial. Since manufacturers are often huge companies, they are often prepared to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting a big claim, so the lawyer selected needs to be willing to meet that challenge.
A. Russell Blank LLC. has more than 30 years of experience in the area of personal injury law. He brings not only his own knowledge and experience, but the resources of a well trained and seasoned legal office. Together, the Blank team can help you discover whether you have a valid claim in light of the laws and regulations that may apply, and they will assume the responsibility to prepare the claim for trial or settlement in order to obtain the largest amount of recovery available under law.