IN THE NEWS: PRODUCT LIABILITY CASES IN 2019

Product liability cases involve situations where sellers, retailers, or manufacturers are held responsible for making a faulty product accessible to consumers.

Of all the sad situations we’ve seen during our more than forty years helping victims recover the financial resources they need, we think product liability cases are some of the saddest.

We believe it’s important to sue the providers of faulty products, but that is far from an easy matter, because Indiana is a “comparative fault” state.  As your attorneys, we must be able to show that your own negligence or lack of reasonable care has not at least partially contributed to your injuries.

We think it will be useful to discuss two specific lawsuits that have been, and will continue to be – in the news this very year of 2019.

1. First is the General Motors case. The problem involving faulty ignition switches was first discovered five years ago, and now has come back into the news. The switches caused accidents because they would shut off the engine while the car was being driven, disabling power steering and brakes, and preventing the airbags from inflating. GM has since been forced to recall vehicles and is still facing many lawsuits because of the hundreds of accidents which were caused by the faulty products.
2. The second case involves just one person who was injured severely because of a faulty product. A lawsuit has been filed against Tabletops Unlimited, Inc. on behalf of an Ohio woman who was severely burned when her Phillipe Richard pressure cooker exploded.

As you can see, some product liability cases involve hundreds and even thousands of people; others may involve just one. If you or someone you know has been injured while using a product, consulting with lawyers who have experience in product liability is a must, because the manufacturer or seller is going to try to prove any or all of the following:

• You knew about a particular defect but used the product anyway.
• After buying the product, you substantially changed it in a way that fundamentally altered its operation.
• You used the product in a way that was unintended or ignored clear safety warnings

Product liability is the area of law in which manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, and others who make products available to the public are held responsible for injuries those products cause.

At Ramey & Hailey, we know you’re not interested in being part of a product liability news story, but if you used some product responsibly, yet we’re hurt, it’s time to hold the company responsible.