You have a right to feel reasonably safe when using a purchased product. For example, when you turn on an appliance, you expect it to work as its manufacturer claims. But what happens when a product is defective and injures you? If a product causes injuries, Ohio law allows you to hold the designer, manufacturer, or supplier liable.
At Oliver Law Office, our women-led team of Gahanna defective product attorneys has decades of experience helping the people of Franklin County file claims when they’ve suffered losses because of malfunctioning products. Contact us to schedule a consultation and determine what damages you may be entitled to for your injuries today.
Ohio recognizes several categories of product defects. If your case falls under these categories, our product liability attorneys can represent you.
Design defects occur when the actual design of the product is faulty. This type of defect doesn’t just affect a single unit but an entire line of products, posing an unreasonable risk of harm. These products pose an unreasonable risk of harm, meaning you can’t safely use them.
Examples include SUVs that tend to roll over because they have a high center of gravity, household appliances that get too hot and cause burns, and children’s toys that are choking hazards.
You then have manufacturing defects. These products were designed correctly but suffered a problem in the manufacturing process. The defect could be contamination of a batch of products or errors in the actual construction of the item. An example is a medication that gets contaminated with plastic pieces on the factory floor.
Another type of defect involves the failure to warn, also called a labeling defect. With this defect type, the product itself isn’t the problem. Instead, the packaging is faulty because it doesn’t include crucial information that can prevent consumers from getting hurt when using the product.
Power tools that don’t have safety instructions or electronic devices that don’t warn you of possible electric shock risks all fall under failure to warn of defects. Another example is a medication that doesn’t warn of possible dangerous drug interactions.
Additionally, you can claim that a product was defective if it didn’t conform to what the manufacturer advertised. If the manufacturer claimed a product was fireproof but caught fire and caused injuries, you can claim it was defective.
To recover damages, your attorney will first need to prove that the product was defective. This is not a simple process, and how complex it is can depend on the product’s type of defect. For instance, proving a design defect tends to be the most difficult because it requires showing that there were safer alternatives to its design.
Once we’ve established that the product was defective, we demonstrate that it caused injuries for which you can be compensated. Remember that even if you misused the product in a foreseeable way, you can still file a claim. That’s because the liable parties should have predicted that someone would have used the product as you did.
We leave no stone unturned in gathering all the evidence that can prove these requirements. We have contacts among a number of professionals who can provide testimony to corroborate that an item was defective.
Remember that in Ohio, you have two years from when the injury occurred or from the reasonable discovery of the injury to file a claim. If you miss that deadline, you won’t be able to get compensation for the losses you’ve sustained. That’s why it’s important to contact us right away if you suspect a defective product caused your injury.
Suppose you’ve just left OhioHealth Gahanna Health Center after needing treatment for burns you received from a faulty household appliance. The last thing you’re probably considering is gathering evidence to prove liability.
But the sooner you start collecting evidence and putting a claim together, the better your chances are of getting compensation. When you hire our team of lawyers right after you suffer injuries, we can take care of the legalities involved with filing a claim so that you can focus on healing.
Another crucial benefit of having our team on your side is that we have years of experience negotiating with insurance companies. Insurers will do everything they can to keep from paying you what you deserve for what you’ve suffered. Without representation, you may accept a low-ball offer that won’t cover your losses effectively.
Our lawyers know your rights and fight to get you fair compensation. If we think the insurers are not negotiating in good faith, we can take your claim to court and advocate for you there.
Importantly, we also offer support during this very difficult time. You may be overwhelmed dealing with both the aftermath of your injuries and facing a legal claim. We can bring the clarity and guidance you deserve every step of the way.
You can claim economic and non-economic damages in a defective product case in Ohio.
Economic damages compensate you for the financial losses you sustained because of your injuries. Medical expenses make up the majority of these losses.
For example, we can seek compensation for your hospital stays, rehabilitation sessions, and even any changes you need to make to your home or vehicle to accommodate a disability. If you need ongoing medical care, we can also seek coverage for this expense.
Economic damages also help you recover lost wages. You may have missed work while struggling with injuries, which means you didn’t receive salaries, commissions, and bonuses that you would have otherwise. Claiming lost wages helps cover all of these losses. If you can’t return to work, you can also claim a loss of earning potential.
Non-economic damages, however, compensate you for non-financial losses. You can get compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced. If you’re not able to live your life as you did before the injury, you can also claim loss of enjoyment of life.
When considering non-economic losses, the severity of the injuries and how they affect your life play a big role in the compensation you receive. The length of the recovery process is also a factor.
Because every claim is unique, you can better understand what you can expect by scheduling a consultation with our team of defective product attorneys.
If you used a defective product and suffered injuries, you have the right to file a claim to get compensation for your losses. However, manufacturers often have extensive legal resources at their disposal to fight such claims. To succeed, you need a skilled representation of your own on your side.
At Oliver Law Office, we have years of experience helping Gahanna accident victims who’ve suffered because of another party’s negligent or wrongful actions. We can gather the necessary evidence to prove your claim and negotiate with insurance companies for fair compensation.
Don’t wait to start fighting for your future. Contact Oliver Law Office to speak with a dedicated Gahanna personal injury lawyer today.
