Southfield Product Liability Lawyer

A Southfield defective products lawyer can help if a flawed product has harmed you or a loved one. Defective products can result in serious injuries to the consumer, which can cause expensive medical bills and enormous amounts of stress. Learning who is responsible for your injury and how to claim the damages you are owed can be tricky, especially when recovering from an injury. Learn how to address a defective product lawsuit in Southfield, Michigan.

What is a Defective Product Lawsuit?

Despite industry standards and federal regulations regarding the sale of defective products, unsafe products make it to market and risk harming innocent people.

According to Michigan law, if you want to win a Southfield defective product lawsuit against a manufacturer or seller, you must prove three critical elements:

• First, you must prove that a product defect injured you.
• Second, you must prove that the suspect product was “not reasonably safe” when it left the manufacturer’s or seller’s control.
• Third, you must prove that your injury could have been prevented by an available “practical and technically feasible alternative production practice.” This alternative practice must prevent the harm you suffered without significantly reducing the desirability or usefulness of the product or increasing the danger to other users.

To win your case, you must prove each of these three points. Even a relatively straightforward defective product lawsuit can be challenging to argue. A product liability attorney in Southfield, MI, is best suited to advise you on your case.

How Goodman Acker Can Help

A defective product can leave you with serious medical expenses and health concerns. Having a trusted product defect lawyer on your side to advise you on your lawsuit and guide you through the legal process is an invaluable asset.

When you work with Goodman Acker on your product liability lawsuit, you can expect to:

• Pay no upfront fees — you pay nothing until you win or settle.
• Obtain an honest evaluation of your case and its potential results.
• Receive a complete investigation into the full value of the damages you are owed, including economic and non-economic damages.
• Receive compassionate and timely communications from our Southfield, MI, office.
• Witness aggressive representation in the courtroom.
• Be supported by skillful settlement negotiation.
• Claim the verdict or settlement awards your case deserves.
• Remain informed and in charge of all aspects of your case from start to finish.
• Pursue your lawsuit without financial risk.

A defective product lawsuit can certainly be challenging, but that is no reason not to pursue justice and the damages you are owed. As experienced and trustworthy product liability lawyers, we will listen to your side of the story and determine whether your case warrants filing a lawsuit. We will explain the risks and benefits associated with your case. If we do not believe you have a solid case, we will be transparent and explain why your case does not warrant a lawsuit.

Alternatively, if we, as your Southfield defective products lawyer, believe you have a strong case, we will detail exactly why you should move forward with your lawsuit.

We will explain the damages you and your family are qualified to receive, which could include the following:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Lost future wages
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of Consortium.

These represent how our Southfield defective products lawyers can help you and your family. Contact us today by calling 248-286-8100 to arrange your free consultation.

Why Choose Us

The Southfield product liability legal team at Goodman Acker is ready to help you pursue the damages you are owed. Choosing the right law firm to represent your product liability case is a critical step in the legal process.

The product liability lawyers at Goodman Acker are among the finest. Some of our bragging points include:

• Our team has been at the forefront of product liability lawsuits in the Southfield area since Goodman Acker was founded more than 25 years ago.
• Barry J. Goodman, the co-founder of Goodman Acker, has spearheaded impressive courtroom achievements, such as a $14.5 million arbitration award in a personal injury case.
• We have recovered millions of dollars for clients injured in product liability cases, including a $7.5 million settlement for a client who suffered spinal cord injuries after a defective tire tread contributed to his SUV rollover accident.
• Our many satisfied customers are a point of pride for Goodman Acker. We have over 300 testimonials on Google with an average rating of 4.6/5.0. We display all of our Google reviews proudly on our website rather than cherry-picking the best for display.

Aside from our impressive results and client testimonials, working with Goodman Acker shields our clients from financial risk.

How is this possible?

First, we offer a free, no-obligation consultation for you to meet with a product liability lawyer in Southfield, have your questions answered, and receive a quick analysis of your case and its likelihood of success. If we recommend a lawsuit and you want to pursue this legal option with us, we will walk you through the next steps.

Second, Goodman Acker does not require any upfront payment. We work on a contingency basis. This means that you owe nothing unless your case is successful. We will agree to take a pre-agreed-upon percentage of your verdict award or settlement. If your case loses, is dismissed, or fails to settle, you owe us nothing.

This means our clients often win but never lose money pursuing a legal case that we recommend.

When you work with us, you can rest easy knowing that we will aggressively pursue your lawsuit without financial risk to you.

Contact Goodman Acker today at 248-286-8100 to schedule your no-obligation consultation with a Southfield defective products lawyer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Defective Products in Southfield, Michigan

Our lawyers regularly work with clients regarding defective products. Certain questions are asked repeatedly by victims of defective products. Clients regularly ask the following questions about defective products, to which we have provided our generalized answers.

How do you prove a product is defective?

You or your attorney can prove a product is defective if you can prove that the product displays a danger that the average consumer would fail to notice. The court will also consider whether the warning labels and instructions were appropriately detailed to warn consumers of the product’s inherent risk.

Who is responsible for a defective product?

The Southfield courts can hold several parties responsible for a defective product. A manufacturer, creator, designer, assembler, distributor, or retailer can be liable for a defective product. Your product liability attorney can identify all potentially liable parties.

What is the law for defective products?

Michigan law for defective products is detailed under Michigan Compiled Law § 600.2946. This statute details the elements necessary to prove a defective product and other information relevant to filing a product liability lawsuit in Southfield, MI.

What is an example of product liability negligence?

The McDonald’s hot coffee case is one of the most famous product liability cases and also one of the most misunderstood. McDonald’s policy required their restaurants to serve coffee at a temperature of between 180 and 190 degrees, which was hot enough to cause the victim third-degree burns requiring skin grafts and eight days in the hospital. In response to her request for a $20,000 settlement to cover medical expenses, McDonald’s refused to offer her more than $800. Her attorney took the case to trial, winning the 79-year-old victim a total award of $640,000 in damages.

What is the statute of limitations for defective products in Southfield, MI?

According to Michigan law, the statute of limitations for defective product claims is generally three years from the date of your accident. This law applies to Southfield and the rest of Michigan.

How much does it cost to hire a product liability lawyer?

Some product liability lawyers require an up-front retainer. However, the defective products lawyers at Goodman Ackers operate on a risk-free contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing out-of-pocket, and the law firm will take its payment out of your settlement or verdict awards.

While it is useful to learn generic answers to common product liability questions, nothing compares to having your personal questions answered in detail by a local product liability lawyer. To get the straight answers to your questions, contact the attorneys at Goodman Ackers today. Call 248-286-8100.

Types of Product Defects

There are three types of defects that a product could display. Each relates to the product being faulty in a different way. These are warning or instruction defects, manufacturing defects, and design defects.

Warning or Instruction Defects

Sometimes a product can be properly designed and manufactured but still considered faulty if it lacks sufficient warnings or instructions. Consider the warnings you see on household products containing toxic chemicals. These products have warning labels that remind users not to ingest the substance or instructions on what to do if the product is swallowed, splashes in someone’s eyes, or touches the user’s skin.

If a product lacks the necessary warning labels or instructions, the court may rule that the product is defective.

Manufacturing Defects

Manufacturing defects are some of the most obvious to spot. When a company incorrectly assembles a product or omits a product component, it can cause the product to fail to operate properly. In theory, the manufacturer’s quality control should prevent manufacturing defects from reaching consumers. However, sometimes these mistakes slip through production and make it to market.

Design Defects

A design defect affects products that should never have been manufactured. These products are hazardous to consumers even when manufactured correctly. Design defects affect products that are inherently dangerous to users, but their usefulness does not offset their danger.

For example, power tools are inherently risky if they are misused. But most are designed to be as safe as possible. They are relatively safe tools that add significant value when manufactured correctly and according to their instructions. Therefore, power tools are not generally considered defective by the court.

However, if a company designed a power tool without a proper handle, a court may consider it defective. This is particularly true if the company could have implemented a handle that would increase the tool’s safety without decreasing its utility.

Sometimes, a product can be defective in more than one way. An experienced product liability lawyer in Southfield can examine your case and determine which parties may be liable for your injury. Determining the negligent parties is one of the first steps to filing a product liability lawsuit.

Common Injuries Caused by Defective Products

Defective products can range from medications and medical devices to seemingly harmless products such as baby formula and baby powder. Depending on the type of product that injured you, you could suffer from issues including broken bones, burns, or cancer.

The following is a list of injuries that could be associated with defective products:

• Dangerous drug injuries: These can contribute to organ failure or other internal issues. It is not rare to hear of a company recalling a drug because of a manufacturing or transportation error. Sometimes the drug is allowed to reach temperatures that could cause it to lose efficacy. If this is a drug you rely upon to live a healthy life, a loss of efficacy can be a serious issue.
• Head and traumatic brain injuries: When companies fail to manufacture products such as bicycles, scooters, skateboards, motorcycles, or other similar devices, they can cause their users to crash or fall over. These types of injuries are often associated with head a brain trauma. Some traumatic brain injuries can heal with time. Others could create lifelong issues for the victim, which could keep them from returning to work.
• Burns: Many household and kitchen appliances risk burning users if users mishandle them. For example, ovens, curling irons, coffee makers, toasters, and even dishwashers can cause heat that could scald or burn someone if the product is misused or mishandled. These products often come with instructions or warning labels that warn users how to properly handle the products to avoid injuries.
• Choking: Choking hazards are most commonly associated with toys aimed at small children. Many children’s toys will carry warning labels that advise when a toy is inappropriate for a child under a certain age. Toys with small parts should warn that they are unsafe for young children, who may put pieces in their mouths and try to swallow them.
• Electric shock: Products that conduct electricity or have live wires risk electric shock if users mishandle them. A classic example is the label on hair dryers warning users not to use them while in the bathtub. Misusing these products could result in serious injury or even death.

Many potentially dangerous products carry appropriate warning labels. However, sometimes the warnings are insufficient. If a defective product has injured you, you should discuss the situation with a local product defect attorney to determine the strength of your case.

Contact Goodman Ackers at 248-286-8100 to arrange a free consultation with our Southfield defective product lawyer.

LEGALLY REVIEWED BY BARRY J. GOODMAN

Barry J. Goodman has devoted his professional life to keeping courthouse doors open for victims seeking justice. Always a tireless advocate for his own clients, Goodman sees his responsibility as a Detroit personal injury attorney in a broader sense as well. [ Attorney Bio ]