Product Liability
At any moment during a person’s day, a products liability claim can develop without notice. From the lead in toys that our children enjoy to the tires on our vehicles that we trust to safely transport our families, the consequences of a defective product can be devastating. The area of law that has developed to remedy these situations is called products liability.
Products liability often involves complex litigation. The nature of a products liability claim is dependant on the jurisdiction, the type of product and the variety and cause of the defect. Product defects can surface in different facets of the user experience including defects in design, manufacturing or even when a manufacturer fails to warn of associated dangers in the product’s use. Moreover, liability in these cases can rest on many different parties ascending the supply chain up to the original manufacturer. After gathering all of this information, a knowledgeable attorney will determine the appropriate type of claim that should be pursued including negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty or fraud.
Clifford Law Offices often has been a pioneer in the field of consumer safety. From airplanes to automobiles, from baby blankets to household products, from toys to sports equipment, Clifford Law Offices has represented a wide array of products where the product design, manufacturing or warning was unsafe. For example, a client of the firm’s testified at a U.S. Senate hearing conducted in Chicago on the lack of safety of dangerous magnetic toys that severely harmed her young son’s intestinal tract. Rollovers of SUVs also have been a highly litigated issue at Clifford Law Offices with various automotive and truck manufacturers. Through the creative application of both law and engineering on behalf of its clients, Clifford Law Offices has worked with safety experts throughout the world to prepare and develop cases. The end result has been that many dangerous and failed products are now safer.
Clifford Law Offices’ Cases Dealing with Products Liability
Robert A. Clifford, Kevin P. Durkin, Colin H. Dunn - $6,100,000 (partial): Man crushed by punch press machine at factory.
Kevin P. Durkin - $4,405,000 Settlement: 23-year-old tenant dies from carbon monoxide caused by a pool heater in the building's garage that was in violation of city ordinances.
Robert A. Clifford & Timothy S. Tomasik - $5,000,000 Partial Settlement: Neurosurgeon using spine instruments during surgery caused permanent incontinence in a 30 year-old-woman due in part to manufacturer failing to advise surgeon about the appropriate imaging required for the proper use of the instruments.
Robert A. Clifford - $825,000 Settlement: 31-year-old mother ejected from vehicle during rollover sustained multiple fractures to her pelvis, leg and spinal vertebrae.
Some of our sub-areas of product liability include:
Automobiles
Bicycle and Helmet Design
Construction Equipment
Dangerous Toys and Playpens
Medical Appliances
Toxic Torts
Unsafe Household Products