Defective products are the cause of thousands of injuries across the United States every year. Product liability law is the country’s set of laws regarding who is held liable for those defective or dangerous products. However, product liability law differs from normal personal injury law. In some cases, it may be easier for the injured party to recover damages.
Suppose a manufacturer can be held liable for allowing a defective product to fall into the hands of a consumer. In that case, you may be able to go to trial, which a Florida personal injury trial lawyer can help with. The law states that a product has to meet the ordinary expectations of a consumer. If the product can be deemed dangerous, then the product has failed to meet those expectations. There is no federal law surrounding this, rather, each state has its own set of laws.
Liability could rest on any part of the supply chain, including:
- Manufactures
- Those that assembled and installed the product
- Wholesalers
- Retail stores that sold the product
There are generally three different types of product defects:
- Design defects: Even in the beginning, before the product has completed the manufacturing process, something in the design is dangerous.
- Manufacturing defects: when a product becomes unsafe during assembly.
- Marketing defects: if a product is falsely marketed and could lead to hazardous conditions.
If you want to take action against a manufacturer or retailer for injury caused by a defective product, the state of Florida requires you to do so within four years of the time of injury or the time the injury should have been discovered. Florida has enacted the 12-year statute of repose, which will be subject to various exceptions.
