Miami Product Liability Lawyers
Handling Defective Product Cases in Florida & Nationwide
Every year, thousands of innocent consumers are injured or killed by defective products. The manufacturers, distributors, and even the owners of these products have a legal obligation to ensure that they are designed and constructed to be safe to use or, in some cases, provide adequate warning that a product poses a danger when used for ordinary purposes.
When a defective product causes harm, a product liability lawsuit may be the only way to hold those corporations that make and sell these products accountable. Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A. has been nationally recognized for our defective product lawyers, including selection to U.S. News' list of Best Law Firms® for Product Liability.
Our Miami defective product attorneys are known for:
- Winning hundreds of millions of dollars since 1984
- Having more than 150 years of combined experience
- Sparing no expense to prepare cases for sizable results
- Limiting our caseload to maximize our focus for each case
- Developing remarkably strong attorney-client relationships
- Providing 24-hour access to our attorneys for our clients
We offer free case consultations to help you determine if you have a viable
case. Call
(305) 770-6335!
Why Product Liability Lawsuits Matters
Defective products invade the shelves of every store in the U.S. In some cases, the manufacturer purposefully forgoes a safety inspection or overlooks a faulty feature for the sake of putting the good on the market. In other situations, the manufacturer fails to identify safety concerns that end up affecting the merchandise and consumers. In either scenario, product liability lawsuits are a means of holding a company accountable for their negligence (purposeful or otherwise).
There are two main reasons why every case matters. Below, we explain them both.
Product Liability Cases Affect the Market
A business has one top priority: to make money.
This means they will do whatever they can to maximize profits. When a company has a choice of paying top dollar for the most durable materials and best manufacturing, some businesses decide to take the cheaper route and use weaker materials and lower quality construction for their product. Sometimes, these choices can lead a business to create a product that does not work as intended. In the best case scenario, a product will end up malfunctioning. While the consumer will be frustrated, he or she will walk away unscathed. However, other consumers may not be so lucky.
Who is held liable for the injuries caused by a faulty product? Depending on the circumstances, it could be the designer, marketing company, manufacturer, or distributor. Lawsuits hold the guilty party accountable for the injuries their defective invention caused. These cases are the first line of protection for a consumer injured by a defective product.
However, product liability cases also act as one of the numerous ways in which consumers can help raise the quality of products for everyone else who is using them.
Products sold in the U.S. must meet safety criteria outlined by the justice system. If a product fails to, or if a product causes injury due to a defect, product liability cases can be utilized as a natural consequence for the company. This will, in effect, raise the safety standard of the material good and will disincentivize the company from making the same mistake.
Product Liability Cases Affect the Consumer
Consumers buy thousands of products every day. Some of these exceed consumer expectations. Others end up causing injury. When a consumer is seriously injured by a product, he or she may need to be hospitalized. Is it fair for a consumer to have to pay for their medical expenses when a defective product harms them? Our firm answers with a resounding no.
Consumers should never have to pay for the harm they endured by the misfiring of a faulty product. They should be compensated for the emotional and physical pain they faced when the product failed.
What Types of Product Liability Are There?
There are three general categories that product liability issues typically fall under. First are cases involving a product that was defectively manufactured. Another type of product liability claim is possible when a manufacturer fails to design a safe product. In 47 states, including Florida, the plaintiff has the burden of proof and must prove the existence of a design defect. Finally, a manufacturer might be liable if they’ve failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions that would prevent the injury of users.
While product liability cases are typically considered strict liability offense, meaning the defendant is liable according to the plaintiff's proof regardless of the defendant's intent, these cases can also fall under negligence or breach of warranty of fitness.
Who Can Be Held Liable For Defective Products Under Product Liability?
The answer to this question varies from case to case. In some instances, the company that was in charge of designing a product can be liable for injuries. In other instances, it will be necessary to examine the supply chain of a defective product. Some products might have a safe design and become unsafe because of a poorly produced component. So, any company or person involved with the design, production, and sale of a defective product might be liable for a person’s injuries.
What Can I Recover with a Product Liability Claim?
A person who is injured by a product liability claim can seek compensation for financial damages caused by their injury. These most often include lost wages, medical bills, and other costs associated with an injury. In some instances, a person can obtain punitive damages that aren’t meant to restore any specific financial losses. Instead, punitive damages are meant to serve as a punishment for negligent defendants.
Facing Off Against the Nation's Largest Companies
We have fought for hundreds of clients who sustained life-altering injuries because of a faulty product. It is never okay for an injured consumer to have their woes multiplied by being forced to pay their medical bills. Our Florida defective product attorneys have successfully represented clients who have had their lives changed by dangerous products for over 35 years. We understand the complex nature of these cases and have the resources to stand up for our clients against large corporations.
We have successfully litigated and tried cases against:
- Ford Motor Company
- Goodyear
- General Motors
- Firestone
- Chrysler
- Mercedes-Benz
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Honda Motor Company
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
- Toyota Motor Company
Some of Our Product Liability Results
No lawyer's talk speaks as loud as their results. Our Miami injury lawyers have won hundreds of millions since 1984 because we prepare every case for trial. Doing so puts the defense on their heels, making us the better prepared and better equipped legal team time and time again. Even when a case eventually settles rather than going to trial, having a powerfully-developed claim gives our clients a strong negotiating position, resulting in more sizable results.
- $5.4 Million - Confidential Settlement
- $5 Million - Confidential Settlement
- $5 Million - Confidential Settlement
- $3 Million - Confidential Settlement
- $3 Million - Confidential Settlement
- $2 Million - Confidential Settlement
- $1.1 Million - Confidential Settlement
Representative Defective Product Cases We've Won
Thanks to our lean size, our firm can focus on our cases, not office management. We have gone toe-to-toe with the world's largest corporations and manufacturers and won because we outwork and out-think the other legal team.
Below are some of the most notable cases our Miami product liability attorneys have won:
- Berry v. Dudley
- Dorsey v. Honda Motor Co.
- Peeples v Guardian Industries
- Phlieger v. Nissan Motor Co.
- Pierre v. General Motors Corp.
Examples of our product liability cases that we have handled:
- Largest side airbag verdict in the country
- Chrysler van seat fails in a fatal automobile accident
- Defective IUD causes permanent damage, nearly kills a woman
- Faulty seat collapses in Chrysler van causing debilitating injury
- Faulty tire cases with deadly consequences settled by Firestone, Ford
- Improperly bolted Chris-Craft cleats cause accidents leading to blindness and brain damage
- Toyota settles faulty seat case that rendered woman quadriplegic
Call
(305) 770-6335 or contact our Florida defective product attorneys online to schedule
an appointment with the award-winning product liability lawyers at our
Miami law firm.