Product Liability Attorney in Baldwin Park, CA
People deserve to go about their day without surprises. They shouldn’t have to worry about the things they use suddenly malfunctioning and hurting them. Product liability happens when a company’s product causes harm due to being defective or unsafe. If this has happened to you, working with a Baldwin Park product liability lawyer can help ensure your rights are protected.
Hire a Product Liability Lawyer From Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor
When it comes to your health and safety, you need a strong legal advocate to ensure your rights are protected throughout legal proceedings. The personal injury attorneys at Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor have spent years assisting California residents during their most difficult times in life.
We’ve fought to secure:
- $13,325,000 for two clients who suffered severe injuries when a compressed natural gas tank exploded
- $6.5 million for a client who experienced full-body burns and fractures while installing mechanical equipment that exploded
- $1,700,000 for a client who was untangling his pressure wash hose and tripped on an improperly manufactured skylight.
The average nuclear verdict for product liability cases in the United States was $36 million in 2022. A nuclear verdict is when the final compensation exceeds $10 million. Let our skilled team take care of the legal side of things so you can focus on your recovery.
Important Filing Deadlines to Remember for Your Product Liability Case
In 2022, there were 26.2 million trips to the emergency room for unintentional injuries in the United States. When filing your product liability claim in Baldwin Park, there are strict deadlines to follow. If you fail to file within the proper deadline, your case will likely be dismissed entirely, and you won’t be able to pursue any compensation.
The deadline to file your claim in California is generally two years. This can be done at the El Monte Courthouse, located at 11234 East Valley Boulevard in El Monte.
While this timeline may seem long, it’s important to file as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more your financial losses will continue to pile up. Collecting evidence will also become harder, as witness memories will fade and physical evidence will be altered over time.
California Product Liability Laws Surrounding Fault
During a product liability accident, courts determine fault and who pays by assigning everyone involved a percentage of fault. They do this by reviewing the evidence provided by all parties. If your claim involves more than one party, they’ll also be assigned a percentage.
Courts understand that even small mistakes can contribute to accidents happening. Any compensation awarded to you will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example:
- If you were using a power drill and the battery overheated and exploded, it could result in burns. You may be assigned 15% of the overall fault if you ignored the safety instructions that warned against using the drill continuously without breaks.
- The product manufacturer may be assigned 50% fault for designing a faulty battery that’s prone to overheating.
- The supplier of the battery may be assigned 20% fault for knowingly using substandard materials that increased user risk.
- The retailer may be assigned 15% fault for continuing to sell the faulty drill and not warning customers. If they received customer complaints about overheating, it can add evidence to their fault percentage.
If you won $100,000, it would be reduced by 15%, making your final compensation $85,000. That amount would be split between the other responsible parties according to their percentages of fault.
However, if the product is deemed naturally unsafe, the company that made the product typically can’t be held liable for any injuries. They also may not be held liable if the consumer knowingly handles unsafe products. For example, alcohol or sugar can be unsafe when used in certain situations.
Damages You Can Request in Your Product Liability Claim
When determining how much compensation to award victims, courts calculate the real financial and emotional losses the victim suffered because of the incident. Economic damages help victims recover compensation for financial losses. This includes:
- Your medical bills, including surgeries, medications, physical therapy, mental health counseling, and mobility aid devices
- Lost income due to missing work from your injuries
- Any damage to your personal belongings during the incident, such as your clothing or cell phone.
Non-economic damages help victims recover compensation for their emotional losses. This can be trickier to calculate, but it is just as important as economic damages. Victims can request compensation for their:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
Be sure to hire a product liability lawyer to help calculate the maximum amount of damages that can be requested in your unique situation.
Evidence to Collect for Your Case
Courts rely on evidence to make their final decision in a personal injury case. It’s important to collect as much evidence as possible. Your lawyer can explain what to gather and help you preserve:
- Testimony from anyone who witnessed the incident
- Testimony from professionals, explaining their opinion on what caused the accident
- Photos and videos of your injuries
- Photos and videos of the incident site, including any nearby damage
- Photos and videos of the product itself
- Any relevant 911 calls
- Copies of your medical records
- Documentation of your financial losses, such as medical bills and lost income
- Documentation of your emotional losses, such as a journal detailing your mental state or notes from your therapist
- A detailed, written timeline of events and your resulting losses
- Footage from surveillance cameras that captured the incident
- Any other relevant documentation that could help with your case
If you only have one type or very little evidence, it can be difficult to prove your side of what happened and clear you of liability.
Work With Empathetic Personal Injury Attorneys in California
Contact Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor and schedule a confidential consultation at our Pasadena office. When you work with us, you’re working with a law firm that has a niche focus on personal injury. We deeply care about the mental and physical well-being of our clients.
While compensation can’t take away what happened, it can help you recover your financial losses and hold the guilty party responsible for what they did.