Dangerous Products Are Everywhere
We rely on the products and equipment we use to be reasonably safe from design and manufacturing defects that can cause death or serious bodily harm. When a product is inherently dangerous, we expect to be warned so we can take precautions. If a manufacturer fails to make its products safe or fails to warn of inherent hazards in its products, the company may be responsible if someone is injured or killed.
At Konicek & Dillon, P.C., our lawyers represent people who have suffered serious injuries as a result of defective or dangerous products. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury while using a product at home or work, we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case. With offices in Geneva and Chicago, we represent clients throughout Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.
What Is A Defective Product?
There are three types of product defects:
- Design defects: The product, as designed, is defective and unreasonably dangerous. These cases can be won where a safer design alternative is available. An example of a design defect is a vehicle that is prone to rollover accidents because it is too high and too narrow. Another type of design defect is a product that fails to incorporate safety features such as a punch press that can be operated with one hand, allowing a worker to stick the other hand inside the press while it is running. The failure to include guarding on moving parts can be a basis for a design defect claim.
- Manufacturing defects: The product, as manufactured, is defective (but its design is safe). An example of a manufacturing defect would be attaching a car seat to the floor of a car using bolts that are too short to prevent the seat from breaking loose in a rear-end collision. Another example is an automobile that contains defective air bag components that cause restraint system inflators to rupture or explode, causing serious and sometimes fatal injuries.
- Failure to warn: Some products are dangerous by the nature of their function such as saws and cutting machines. When potential dangers can’t be designed out of a product, the manufacturer has a duty to warn users to take precautions. An example would be a warning to wear eye protection when using a dangerous chemical.
Action Plan
- Do everything in your power to preserve the dangerous product in exactly the condition it was in when it caused your injury.
- Make sure that the product is secured in an environmentally controlled storage area, to prevent damage to or degradation of the product. Once you hire a lawyer, the lawyer should do this for you.
- Contact Konicek & Dillon, P.C., to discuss your injury and claim.
Air bag defect injuries: We have obtained significant settlements in claims involving defective air bag systems, one in a foreign car and one in a domestic automobile.
Free Attorney Consultation
To discuss your case with our Geneva product liability lawyers, call 630-313-2071 or fill out the contact form on this website. We offer home and hospital visits.