Chicago, IL Defective Products Attorneys

Knowledgeable Attorneys Helping People Who Have Been Injured by Defective Products in Chicago, Illinois

When people purchase and use products, they expect them to function safely and as intended. They place trust in manufacturers to design, produce, and distribute products that will not cause harm. When companies release defective products that injure people, the consequences can be devastating. Victims may suffer burns, lacerations, poisoning, broken bones, or other serious injuries.

The lawyers at Gallagher & Kosner Law represent people who have been injured by dangerous and defective products. We understand the complex legal issues that may affect product liability claims. We know how to investigate these cases and hold companies accountable. Our legal team works with engineering professionals, industry specialists, and medical experts to demonstrate how product defects caused injuries and document the full extent of the damages suffered by victims. We will work to recover compensation for victims while taking steps to ensure that dangerous products are removed from the market.

Understanding Product Defects and Manufacturer Liability

Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are required to ensure that the products they create and sell are safe for people to use. Strict liability generally applies in these cases, and companies can be held responsible for injuries caused by defective products even if they did not engage in negligence. Injury victims will need to demonstrate that a product was in a defective condition and was unreasonably dangerous, that the defect existed when the product left the manufacturer's control, and that the defect was the cause of their injuries.

Types of Product Defects

Product liability claims will generally involve three categories of defects:

• Design Defects: A product's design may make it dangerous, even when it is manufactured correctly. Our attorneys can work with engineers and design professionals to demonstrate that a product had an unsafe design.
• Manufacturing Defects: During the production process, errors may be made, or design specifications may not be followed correctly. Unlike design defects, which will affect all products of a particular model, manufacturing defects may affect specific items or batches. These cases will often require investigations into factory conditions, quality control procedures, or other issues that affected the safety of products.
• Failure to Warn: Marketing defects may involve inadequate instructions or a lack of warnings about the risks of using a product. Even when a product has been designed and manufactured correctly, it could be dangerous if consumers were not informed about hazards or given guidance on how to use the product safely.

Dangerous Automotive Products

Motor vehicles contain thousands of components, and defects in any of these parts can lead to catastrophic car accidents. Defective tires that experience tread separation can cause drivers to lose control, resulting in rollovers or other collisions. Faulty braking systems may prevent vehicles from stopping effectively. Defective airbags may deploy with excessive force or explode. Seatbelt failures, including latches that release during a collision or belts that do not retract properly, can put people's safety at risk. Fuel system defects may cause fires in collisions. Because of the risks that affect drivers and passengers, automotive defects can cause serious harm.

Hazardous Home Appliances and Electronics

Appliances and other products used in homes can become sources of danger when defects cause fires, explosions, electrical shocks, or other hazards. Defective space heaters may overheat and ignite nearby materials, causing house fires. Pressure cookers and other kitchen appliances may explode and cause severe burns and lacerations due to faulty pressure release valves or defective locking mechanisms. Dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers with electrical defects may short-circuit and start fires. Hair dryers, curling irons, and other personal care devices that overheat can cause burn injuries.

Defective batteries in laptops, smartphones, and other electronic devices have been known to overheat, catch fire, or explode while charging. Carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms that fail to activate when detecting dangerous conditions can put families at risk in emergency situations.

Dangerous Products for Children

Parents expect that products marketed for children will meet high safety standards. Defective toys and children's products can cause serious injuries. Toys with small parts can create choking hazards for infants and toddlers. Cribs with faulty drop-side mechanisms or improper spacing between slats may cause babies to become trapped, resulting in strangulation. Defective high chairs may tip over easily, or the wheels may detach from defective strollers. Lead paint on toys, toxic chemicals in children's jewelry, and harmful substances in plastic products can create health risks.

Defective Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals

Medical products that are designed to improve people's health can cause serious harm when they are defectively designed or manufactured. Defective hip implants, knee replacements, and other orthopedic devices may fail, requiring painful surgeries to replace them. Metal-on-metal hip implants can release metal shards into the bloodstream, causing tissue damage, pain, and other complications. Surgical mesh products used in hernia repairs and other procedures may fail and cause chronic pain and infections. Other harmful products may include pacemakers with defective batteries or insulin pumps that malfunction.

Pharmaceutical drugs may be dangerous due to contamination during manufacturing or inadequate warnings about serious side effects. Patients who are prescribed medications without proper warnings about interactions with other drugs or about risks to pregnant women may suffer harm.

Other Common Defective Products

Defective power tools, including saws, drills, or nail guns, may cause injuries such as lacerations or amputations. Ladders may collapse due to defective locking mechanisms. Defective helmets may fail to protect against head injuries, or other protective equipment may fail to perform as advertised. Furniture that can tips over easily, such as dressers and television stands, may cause injuries or deaths when they fall on children. Defective exercise equipment, such as treadmills with inadequate emergency stop mechanisms, may cause injuries to users.

Building a Product Liability Claim

Recovering compensation for an injury caused by a defective product will require a full investigation to gather evidence showing that a product was unsafe. Our legal team can review design specifications, manufacturing processes, quality control records, and complaints or injuries associated with a product. We can determine whether a manufacturer issued recalls, received prior complaints about safety issues, or faced regulatory action from agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Food and Drug Administration.

Medical records documenting the injuries a person has suffered, the costs of treatment, and the ongoing issues that will affect them can establish the damages that have occurred due to a defective product. We will calculate all economic losses, including medical bills, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity, and we will also take steps to address non-economic damages for pain and suffering and reduced quality of life.

Product liability cases often involve multiple defendants, including manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. Our lawyers will identify all potentially liable parties and take steps to obtain compensation from each entity that played a role in the injuries suffered by a victim.

Contact Our Chicago Defective Product Attorneys

The attorneys at Gallagher & Kosner Law have the knowledge and resources needed to take on large corporations and product manufacturers while helping injury victims obtain the compensation they deserve. Contact our Chicago, IL defective product injury lawyers at 312-910-5050 to arrange a consultation about your product liability claim.