Fighting for Consumer Safety
When we buy a product, we expect that it is reasonably safe to use, and we have a right to know of any potential dangers associated with it. As such, there are myriad government and industry regulations in place to ensure that consumer safety is not compromised and our rights are not violated. If a company disregards these regulations, cuts corners, and releases defective products into the marketplace, it can be held liable for any resulting injury.
At Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., our product liability attorneys have protected the rights of injured consumers for 40 years. We offer comprehensive legal services to Maine residents who have found themselves injured by the carelessness of product designers, manufacturers, retailers, and/or distributors and, to date, have won our clients millions of dollars to compensate for their injuries and help them get back on their feet.
What is product liability?
Every year, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls numerous products for putting consumers at undue risk. Product liability law, as the term suggests, aims to remedy this by bringing the company or corporation responsible for any consumer injuries to justice.
How Do You Prove Product Liability?
Since almost every single item around us is a product (our phones, computers, cooking appliances, furniture, shampoo, prescription drugs, etc.), product liability claims may be brought forth over a vast array of items and related injuries.
Regardless of the product involved, however, a plaintiff and their attorney will be required to establish the following elements to win their claim:
- The negligent party owed a duty of care to you (by selling you a product under the pretense that it was safe, they had a duty to ensure it truly was safe);
- A product contained either a design, manufacturing, or marketing defect;
- You used the product as it was intended, adhering to all safety guidelines and heeding any product warnings; and
- The defect caused you injury and, therefore, caused you to incur damages.
“Damages” simply refer to any type of loss experienced as a result of the accident. They can be economic, like any medical debt racked up in order to treat your injury, or non-economic, such as the psychological trauma of being hurt by another’s negligence. In other words, economic damages have a clear-cut monetary value associated with them while non-economic damages do not.
In product liability lawsuits, plaintiffs commonly seek compensation for the following damages:
- Medical expenses/hospital bills
- Loss of earnings (wages or profits)
- Cost of disability
- Property damage
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
We Put Our Clients First
Shaheen & Gordon, P.A.’s product liability lawyers have handled countless defective products cases on behalf of Maine residents. No matter how complex your case is, we are fully prepared to take it on and relentlessly fight for your maximum compensation. Our firm offers a free, no-obligation initial consultation in which we can discuss what the best course of legal action is for you.
