Most of us have occasionally experienced “buyer’s remorse,” the feeling that you get when you purchase a product only to have it not turn out to be the way you thought it would. Sometimes things simply do not meet our expectations. But on other – fortunately less frequent – occasions, the way that a product is designed or manufactured can lead to results that are not just unforeseen but dangerous as well. This is where Ohio law governing products liability becomes involved.
Products liability law takes into account that there are several ways that a defective product can cause harm. Bad design is one way, but defects in manufacturing can also lead to injury even when you are using the product properly and in the way it was meant to be used. A poorly-designed fuel tank that can explode in a rear-end auto collision, or a defective engine part that can cause your brakes to fail, or a faulty airbag assembly that can lead to a failure of the airbag to deploy when needed but a few examples of products liability from the automobile industry alone.
But while the concept of recovering damages for an injury caused by a badly designed or badly made product is simple, prevailing on such a claim can be much more complicated. Products liability law is a distinct form of personal injury law, with its own variations and requirements for a plaintiff to prove. At the same time, manufacturers will frequently attempt to deny responsibility for their defective products. Settlement negotiations can be contentious, and a lawsuit can require extensive investigation and preparation.
This is not to say that you should shy away from a product liability claim if you have been injured by a dangerous product. Suffice it to say that if you do believe that you have a cause of action for products liability, we at Colley Shroyer Abraham want you to know that your choice of a law firm to represent you in such an event can be an critical decision. We have experience with representing clients in product liability cases, so a good place to start in order to learn more would be to visit our products liability webpage.