We interact with dozens if not hundreds of consumer products every day, from the cars we drive in to work to the toys our children play with to the pharmaceuticals our doctors prescribe us. Most of these products are safe to use as intended. Unfortunately, some are not, due to defects in their design, manufacture, or instructional materials—and the consequences of these unsafe products can be profound.
Have you been injured by a defective product in Santa Ana, California? If so, the manufacturer could be responsible for what happened and should have to compensate you accordingly. Let DJA Injury Lawyers stand up to these powerful interests and demand the justice and accountability you deserve. Contact us today by calling (949) 229-7228 and ask for your free, no-obligation consultation with our Santa Ana product liability lawyers.
Product Liability Cases We Handle in Santa Ana
To understand if you may have a product liability case, it helps know a few important legal terms. Product liability refers to a manufacturer’s responsibility for any harm caused by defective products it put on the market, while a defect is a condition that makes a product inherently unsafe to use as intended. There are three general types of product defects.
A product can be inherently unsafe because of a design defect. In these cases, every product made from the same plans will have the same inherent danger. An example this type of defect is a tire that is designed with sidewalls too thin to counteract the force of air pressure, making it prone to sudden blowouts.
Manufacturing defects are errors made in the production of an otherwise safe product. While a design defect makes all products made to that plan unsafe, a manufacturing defect only affects a particular item or run of items. To extend our example above, let’s assume a particular model of tire has a good safety record, but its manufacturer inadvertently releases a batch with an inferior rubber mixture that wears out too quickly. This would be a manufacturing defect.
A product can also be unsafe because of marketing defects, or failures on the part of a manufacturer to instruct consumers on how to use a product safely or warn them of potential hazards. An example of a marketing defect is a tire that has been marketed as safe for SUVs but is actually rated as sufficient only for smaller vehicles.
Here are some common examples of design defects in practice:
- Children’s toys: Small detachable parts or toxic materials can pose choking hazards or poisoning risks.
- Medical devices: Malfunctions or software errors in products like pacemakers and insulin pumps can cause device failure.
- Pharmaceutical drugs: Contaminated or improperly labeled medications can cause severe side effects.
- Home appliances: Electrical malfunctions or defective wiring can cause fires, burns, or carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Power tools: Faulty safety features or low-quality electrical components can lead to severe lacerations, amputations, or electrocution.
- Food products: Contamination with bacteria like Salmonella or foreign objects can lead to food poisoning.
- Ladders: Weak materials or faulty locking mechanisms can cause the ladder to collapse while in use.
- Car seats for children: Defective harnesses or weak frames can fail to protect a child in a crash.
If you’ve been hurt by a defective product, its manufacturer could owe you money for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more. Let the Santa Ana product liability attorneys of DJA Injury Lawyers help you seek maximum compensation for your injuries by:
- Reviewing evidence like patents, warranties, blueprints, and instruction manuals to better understand the defect
- Working with industrial designers, product engineers, and other experts to prove the item was defective
- Calculating the financial and personal harm you’ve suffered to understand what fair compensation entails
- Sending demand letters to the manufacturer and negotiating with the company or its insurer for a fair settlement
- Preparing your case for litigation and taking it to trial if that’s the best way to get you the money you deserve
Our Santa Ana product defect lawyers do all this at no upfront cost to you. We only charge a fee only if and when we win your case. That way, you don’t have to worry about the expense of asserting your rights and demanding what you’re owed.
Product Defect Statistics
The National Safety Council reports that over 12,740,000 people sought emergency treatment for product-related injuries in 2023. The leading causes of these injuries were:
- Stairs, ramps, landings, and floors, which accounted for 2.7 million injuries
- Beds, pillows, and mattresses, which accounted for 923,000 injuries
- Chairs, sofas, and sofa beds, which accounted for 615,000 injuries
Children under the age of four are at a particularly high risk of product-related injuries. According to the NSC:
- Soap and detergents led to 11,836 such injuries
- Cooking ranges and ovens led to 8.195 such injuries
- TV sets and stands led to 5,859 such injuries
Frequently Asked Questions about Product Liability
Product liability is a complex field of personal injury law, and it’s understandable that you might have questions about it. Here are the answers to the ones we’re most frequently asked.
How Do You Prove a Product Is Defective?
There are a few ways to prove that a product poses an unacceptably high risk of danger to consumers. One is the risk-utility test, which weighs the cost of a safer design against the danger posed by the defect. Another is the consumer expectations test, which asks whether the dangers posed by the defect surpassed what an average consumer might expect. Our product liability attorneys can give you a better idea of what you can expect when you meet with us during a free consultation.
How Much Do Product Liability Attorneys Cost in Santa Ana?
Most Santa Ana product liability lawyers—including those with DJA Injury Lawyers—take cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay your attorney a percentage of whatever compensation they recover on your behalf. If they don’t win your case, you don’t pay them. The contingency model makes it affordable to pursue a complex case regardless of your personal finances.
How Long Do I Have to File a Product Liability Case in Santa Ana?
Under most circumstances, you have two years from the date you suffered your injury to file a product liability claim in California. If you attempt to file after this deadline has passed, the defendant can move to dismiss your claim as untimely filed. Don’t let this happen—contact our Santa Ana product liability attorneys right away.
Get Help from Our Santa Ana Defective Product Lawyers
Have you or someone you love been hurt by an unsafe product in Santa Ana? If so, the product liability lawyers with DJA Injury Lawyers want to help you demand justice and fair compensation for what you’ve suffered. Contact us today at (949) 229-7228 and get started with your free consultation.