We rely on consumer products in our everyday lives, and manufacturers are responsible for designing and creating safe products that won’t cause injury or illness. Unfortunately, though, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that consumer products in the U.S. injure over 30 million people per year and cause 23,000 deaths.
If you or a loved one has an injury from a defective product, the product liability attorneys at Oliver Law Office want to speak with you. Manufacturers are liable for the injuries their defective products cause, and you may have a claim for financial compensation. Our experienced attorneys can pursue compensation from the responsible parties for any losses you suffered because of your injuries.
Contact us today to speak to one of our defective product attorneys serving Hilliard.
According to data from the National Safety Council, the top three product groupings for consumer injuries are:
Stairs, ramps, landings, and floors
Beds, pillows, mattresses
Chairs and couches
Other products that commonly cause injuries include soaps/detergents, cooking appliances (e.g., stoves, ranges, etc.), and televisions. Perhaps unsurprisingly, children and the elderly are most at risk for defective product injuries.
The range of consumer products is vast so the range of injuries they can cause is similarly large. Some of the most common defective product injuries we have seen include:
Burns or abrasions
Fractures and broken bones
Choking or asphyxiation
Head injuries
Eye injuries
Lacerations and cuts
Bruising and soft-tissue injury
Organ damage
Amputations
Toxic exposure (e.g., lead, asbestos, etc.)
Death
Ohio’s Product Liability Act defines three primary ways in which a product can be defective:
Manufacturing defects. Manufacturing defects occur when errors in the manufacturing process create a product different from design specifications.
Unsafe design. A product can also have an inherently unsafe design, even if there are no manufacturing defects. Manufacturers often issue product recalls if one of their products has an inherently unsafe design.
Failure to warn. Products that have inadequate warnings, unsafe instructions, or false advertising may have marketing defects.
One major difference between product liability claims and other personal injury cases in Ohio is that the injured party does not necessarily need to show that the manufacturer was negligent to recover damages. As long as the injured party can demonstrate that the product was defective and caused their injuries, they can receive financial compensation.
The injured party must show that a product is defective, so it’s imperative that you work with an attorney who is intimately familiar with investigating defective product claims. Oliver Law Office has won awards for our product liability practice and understands how to investigate manufacturing processes and behavior to identify defects or misconduct.
The typical defective product injury settlement in Hilliard will include compensation for the victim’s economic and non-economic losses.
Economic losses are the direct monetary losses the victim suffered because of their injuries, which can include:
Emergency medical bills and continuing medical expenses
Lost income from inability to work
Reduced earning potential from total or partial permanent disability
Property damage from defective products
Economic losses are straightforward to calculate because they have a definite dollar amount. An attorney can gather your expenses to calculate an adequate figure to cover your explicit losses. Ohio does not cap the total amount of economic damages you can recover.
Non-economic or non-monetary losses are more abstract and are more difficult to calculate. They typically include:
Pain and suffering
Loss of life enjoyment
Loss of consortium or companionship
Disfigurement or scarring
Ohio law generally limits total recoverable compensation for non-economic losses to three times the victim’s economic losses or $250,000, whichever is greater. These caps on non-economic damage do not apply in cases with product defect injuries that cause catastrophic injury and loss of bodily functioning.
Ohio does not typically award punitive damages against manufacturers except in a few limited circumstances. The state might assign punitive damages if the manufacturer showed a flagrant disregard for safety when designing or manufacturing the product. The term flagrant disregard can be shown by proving one of several things:
The manufacturer knew about the defect
The manufacturer knew the probability of injury was high
Selling the product despite its dangers was profitable
The manufacturer attempted to conceal their misconduct
In general, the statute of limitations for defective product claims in Ohio allows an injured party two years to file a lawsuit against the party or company that harmed them. You can extend this limit in some cases.
Normally, the statute starts counting from the date of the injury or death. However, in the case of disease or illness from long-term exposure to a defective product, the deadline for filing will begin when the injured party discovers their condition.
Regardless of how much time you believe you have to file your lawsuit, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. Defective product claims are harder to pursue the longer you wait because it will be more difficult to prove your injuries and the presence of manufacturer defects. An attorney from Oliver Law Office who serves clients in Hilliard can promptly initiate the claims process, increasing your chances of recovering full and fair compensation.
Manufacturers make a lot of money from selling their goods, so it is only natural they are responsible for creating safe products that won’t cause injury. If a defective product has injured you, the attorneys at Oliver Law Office want to help you receive justice. We have over 20 years of experience providing client-focused attorney services in Hilliard. We are fierce advocates for the injured and will pursue every available legal channel to recover the compensation you need.
With our established track record of case results and extensive courtroom experience, you can rely on us to provide effective and comprehensive legal services. We also offer in-home and virtual case consultations, so we can always find a convenient way to meet with you.
If you would like to speak to a defective product attorney serving Hilliard, contact Oliver Law Office online or call today at (614) 220-9100.
You can use these directions to reach our office at 7240 Muirfield Dr. in Dublin.
From the North:
Start on I-270 West.
Take the OH-161/US-33 Exit toward Marysville.
Exit at Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn right onto Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn left on Muirfield Drive.
Your destination will be on the left.
From the South:
Start on I-270 North.
Take the OH-161/US-33 Exit toward Marysville.
Exit at Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn right onto Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn left on Muirfield Drive.
Your destination will be on the left.
From the East:
Start on I-270 West.
Take the OH-161/US-33 Exit toward Marysville.
Exit at Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn right onto Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn left on Muirfield Drive.
Your destination will be on the left.
From the West:
Start on I-270 East.
Take the OH-161/US-33 Exit toward Marysville.
Exit at Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn right onto Avery-Muirfield Drive.
Turn left on Muirfield Drive.
Your destination will be on the left.
