When a defective product causes you injury, the consequences can be devastating. Medical bills pile up, you miss work, and you struggle with pain and suffering. You shouldn’t have to bear these costs alone. At Dordick Law Corporation, our product liability lawyer in Los Angeles understands the physical, emotional, and financial toll that dangerous products inflict on consumers. We investigate thoroughly, hold manufacturers and distributors accountable, and work to recover the compensation you deserve. If a defective product has injured you or a loved one, contact us today for a free consultation.
Why Choose Dordick Law Corporation for Your Product Liability Case
Dordick Law Corporation brings experience handling product liability claims throughout Los Angeles and California. Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys understand the technical aspects of product defects. We know the regulatory landscape governing product safety. With this knowledge, we apply litigation strategies that hold manufacturers accountable.
To support these strategies, we conduct thorough investigations that leave no stone unturned. This includes obtaining the defective product and preserving evidence, interviewing witnesses, and working with expert specialists to build compelling cases. We don’t accept manufacturers’ explanations at face value—we dig deeper to uncover the truth about how and why products fail. Our team includes experienced product liability attorneys who have handled complex cases involving multiple defendants and significant damages.
Our track record demonstrates our commitment to achieving results for injured clients. We’ve recovered settlements and verdicts for people harmed by defective products, and we understand the financial pressures you face after an injury. While we work efficiently to resolve your case, we maintain the quality of our representation throughout the process.
We handle product liability cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront costs. We only recover a fee if we successfully resolve your case through settlement or verdict. This arrangement aligns our interests with yours—we’re motivated to maximize your recovery because our compensation depends on your success.
Our firm provides personalized service and maintains open communication throughout your case. You’ll work directly with experienced attorneys who understand your situation, and we will keep you informed at every stage. We’ll answer your questions, explain your options, and ensure you understand the decisions we make on your behalf.
Our Approach to Product Liability Cases
We approach each product liability case with a commitment to thorough investigation and aggressive advocacy. Before anything else, we begin by understanding your injury, the product involved, and the circumstances of the incident. From there, a thorough investigation is conducted to identify all responsible parties, gather evidence of the defect, and work with experts to analyze the product and establish liability.
Throughout the process, we communicate regularly with you and keep you informed of developments. When settlement negotiations begin, we leverage our investigation and expert analysis to negotiate from a position of strength. Should the manufacturer refuse to offer fair compensation, we’re prepared to take your case to trial and present your evidence to a jury.
What Is Product Liability?
Product liability refers to the legal responsibility that manufacturers, distributors, and retailers bear when a defective product causes injury or property damage to a consumer. Under California law, companies have a duty to design, manufacture, and distribute safe products. When they fail to meet this obligation, injured consumers can pursue legal action to recover damages.
California recognizes three distinct types of product defects that form the basis of product liability claims:
Design Defects: These occur when the product’s design itself is inherently unsafe, even if manufactured correctly. A design defect means that a safer alternative design existed that the manufacturer could have used. For example, a vehicle with a fuel tank positioned in a location prone to rupture in rear-end collisions contains a design defect. This principle was established in landmark cases like Barker v. Lull Engineering Co. (1978), which defined the standards for design defect liability in California.
Manufacturing Defects: Manufacturing defects happen during the production process when a product deviates from its intended design. Even if the design is safe, a manufacturing error can create a dangerous product. An example would be a tire with improper rubber composition that causes blowouts, or a pharmaceutical product contaminated during production. These defects differ fundamentally from design defects because they affect only some units of a product line.
Failure to Warn: This occurs when a manufacturer fails to provide adequate warnings or instructions about known dangers associated with a product’s use. If a product carries inherent risks that consumers cannot reasonably discover, the manufacturer must warn users about those risks. A cleaning product without warnings about toxic fumes or a medication without disclosure of serious side effects exemplifies a failure to warn. Under California Civil Code § 1714, manufacturers have a duty to warn consumers of known hazards.
Multiple parties can bear liability for a defective product. Manufacturers who designed or produced the product, distributors who supplied it to retailers, retailers who sold it to consumers, and even component suppliers can all be held responsible. This means you have multiple potential sources of recovery when pursuing your claim.
How Product Liability Differs from Other Personal Injury Claims
Product liability claims differ fundamentally from other personal injury cases because you don’t need to prove negligence. Instead, you can pursue liability under a theory of strict liability. The defendant is responsible regardless of whether they acted carelessly. You only need to prove the product was defective and that the defect caused your injury. This distinction makes product liability claims a powerful tool for injured consumers, distinguishing them from general personal injury claims.
Types of Defective Products We Handle
Defective products appear in virtually every category of consumer goods. Our attorneys have experience handling claims involving numerous types of dangerous products that have harmed Los Angeles residents.
- Defective Vehicles and Auto Parts – represent a significant portion of product liability claims. Faulty airbags that fail to deploy during collisions create serious safety hazards. Defective seatbelts don’t restrain occupants properly. Brake systems with design flaws and tires prone to blowouts also cause injuries. Vehicles with structural defects that collapse during accidents or fuel systems that rupture and cause fires form the basis of viable product liability claims. If you’ve been injured in a vehicle accident caused by a defective product, our Los Angeles car accident attorneys can help.
- Dangerous Home Appliances and Electronics – cause injuries to consumers. Defective space heaters overheat and cause fires. Washing machines with electrical hazards pose risks. Refrigerators with faulty compressors leak toxic refrigerant. Power tools with inadequate safety guards create dangers. Defective electronics with battery defects that cause fires or explosions also warrant investigation. These types of injuries often result in significant medical expenses and lost wages.
- Defective Machinery and Industrial Equipment – poses significant risks to workers and operators. Malfunctioning safety guards on industrial presses create hazards. Hydraulic systems that fail unexpectedly cause injuries. Equipment with design flaws creates crush hazards or amputation risks. All of these create liability for manufacturers and distributors. Workers injured by defective equipment may also have claims under workplace accident law.
- Contaminated Consumer Products – these include food, beverages, and personal care items, which can cause serious illness or injury. Products contaminated with foreign objects, bacteria, or harmful chemicals during manufacturing create liability for the responsible parties. Food poisoning cases involving defective products can result in significant damage.
- Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals – can cause harm to patients, which represents another category of product liability claims. Defective surgical implants and pacemakers with design flaws cause injuries. Medications with undisclosed side effects harm patients. Medical devices that malfunction during critical procedures warrant investigation by experienced product liability attorneys. Patients harmed by defective medical devices may pursue claims for medical malpractice in addition to product liability.
Product Recalls and Your Rights
When manufacturers discover defects, they sometimes issue recalls. However, a recall doesn’t eliminate your right to pursue a product liability claim. In fact, a recall often strengthens your case by demonstrating that the manufacturer knew about the defect. You can still recover damages even if you weren’t aware of the recall or didn’t participate in it. Our attorneys can help you understand how a recall affects your specific situation.
How We Prove Your Product Liability Claim
Successfully proving a product liability claim requires establishing three critical elements. Our investigation process focuses on gathering evidence to demonstrate each component.
Establishing the Product Was Defective forms the foundation of your claim. We work with expert engineers and product safety specialists to analyze the product. We identify the specific defect and document how it deviates from industry standards or the manufacturer’s own specifications. This may involve obtaining the product’s design specifications, manufacturing records, and quality control documentation. We examine whether the product failed to perform as a reasonable consumer would expect. We also determine whether a safer alternative design existed that the manufacturer could have used.
Demonstrating the Defect Caused Your Injury requires connecting the product defect directly to your harm. Medical records, accident reports, and expert testimony establish this causation. We gather evidence showing that the defect, not some other factor, caused your injury. This might include photographs of the defective product, witness statements, and medical documentation of your injuries. In cases involving traumatic brain injuries or other serious harm, we work with medical experts to establish clear causation.
Proving the Manufacturer Knew or Should Have Known About the Defect strengthens your claim significantly. As part of our investigation, we look into whether the manufacturer received prior complaints about similar defects and determine whether internal testing revealed the danger. We also examine whether industry standards existed that the manufacturer ignored. Through discovery, internal communications, testing reports, and prior incident reports often come to light and demonstrate the manufacturer’s knowledge of the defect.
Our investigation process begins immediately after you contact us, allowing us to preserve evidence and interview witnesses while their memories remain fresh. From the outset, we obtain the defective product before it can be destroyed or altered. In addition, we work with accident reconstruction experts, engineers, and medical professionals to build your case.
The Role of Product Testing and Expert Witnesses
Expert witnesses play an important role in product liability cases. Engineers can testify about design defects and whether safer alternatives existed. Medical experts can explain how the defect caused your specific injuries. Economists can calculate the financial impact of your injuries. We maintain relationships with respected experts across multiple disciplines who can provide credible testimony to support your claim.
Types of Compensation Available
California law allows injured consumers to recover multiple categories of damages in product liability cases.
Economic Damages compensate you for quantifiable financial losses resulting from your injury. These include all medical expenses—emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, ongoing medical care, and future medical treatment related to your injury. Lost wages cover income you missed while recovering from your injury. If your injury affects your earning capacity long-term, we pursue damages for lost future earnings. Property damage covers the cost of repairing or replacing the defective product or other property damaged in the incident.
Non-Economic Damages compensate you for subjective harm that doesn’t have a clear dollar value. Pain and suffering damages recognize the physical pain you endured and continue to experience. Emotional distress damages account for anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma resulting from your injury. Loss of enjoyment of life compensates you when your injury prevents you from engaging in activities you previously enjoyed. Scarring and disfigurement damages address permanent visible injuries that affect your quality of life.
Punitive Damages may be available in cases where the manufacturer’s conduct was particularly egregious. When a company knowingly concealed a dangerous defect, ignored safety warnings, or prioritized profits over consumer safety, punitive damages punish the wrongdoing. These damages also deter similar conduct by other companies. Under California Civil Code § 3294, punitive damages are available when a defendant’s conduct involves oppression, fraud, or malice. These damages go beyond compensating your injury—they serve a broader public policy purpose.
Calculating your claim’s value requires analyzing all these damage categories. In doing so, we consider the severity of your injury and the permanence of any disability, as well as evaluate your age, life expectancy, and income level. We also assess the impact on your quality of life. Finally, we evaluate whether settlement or trial offers the better path to maximum recovery for your specific circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions About Product Liability
What is the statute of limitations for filing a product liability claim in California?
California’s statute of limitations for product liability claims is generally two years from the date of injury under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. This period begins from the date of injury or when you discovered or reasonably should have discovered the injury. However, in some cases involving latent injuries that don’t manifest immediately, the discovery rule may extend this deadline. It’s crucial to contact an attorney promptly after your injury to ensure your claim is filed within the applicable deadline. Waiting too long could result in losing your right to pursue compensation.
Can I file a product liability claim if I wasn't the original purchaser?
Yes. California law allows anyone injured by a defective product to pursue a claim, regardless of whether they purchased the product. You might have received the product as a gift, borrowed it from a friend, or encountered it in a public place. The key requirement is that you were injured by the defective product. You don’t need to be the original purchaser to hold the manufacturer or distributor liable.
What evidence do I need to prove a product was defective?
You need evidence establishing that the product deviated from its intended design, failed during normal use, or lacked adequate warnings about known dangers. This might include the defective product itself, photographs or video of the defect, expert analysis, the manufacturer’s own design specifications or testing reports, prior complaints about similar defects, and medical documentation of your injury. Our investigation gathers this evidence systematically to build a strong case.
How long does a product liability case typically take?
The timeline varies depending on the complexity of the case and whether it settles or goes to trial. Simple cases with clear liability might resolve within months. Complex cases involving multiple defendants, extensive expert analysis, or disputed liability may take one to three years or longer. We work efficiently to resolve your case while ensuring we gather all necessary evidence and pursue maximum recovery.
What is the difference between a class action and an individual lawsuit?
In a class action, multiple people injured by the same defective product join together in a single lawsuit. The class action can be more efficient and may result in faster resolution, but individual recoveries are often smaller because the total settlement is divided among all class members. An individual lawsuit allows you to pursue your own claim separately, potentially resulting in greater compensation tailored to your specific injuries. We can advise you on which approach makes sense for your situation.
Can I recover damages if I was partially at fault for my injury?
California follows a comparative negligence system. Even if you were partially at fault for your injury, you can still recover damages reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were 20% at fault and your total damages are $100,000, you could recover $80,000. The key is that the product defect must have been a substantial factor in causing your injury. We evaluate your specific circumstances to determine whether comparative negligence affects your claim.
How much does it cost to hire a product liability attorney?
Dordick Law Corporation handles product liability cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront costs, no hourly fees, and no expenses unless we successfully resolve your case. Our fee comes from the settlement or verdict we recover on your behalf. This arrangement ensures that cost is never a barrier to pursuing justice for your injury.
What should I do immediately after being injured by a defective product?
First, seek medical attention for your injuries. Document everything about the incident—take photographs of the product, the scene, and your injuries. Preserve the defective product and don’t attempt to repair or modify it. Write down details about what happened while your memory is fresh. Gather contact information from any witnesses. Keep all medical records and receipts related to your injury. Then contact an experienced product liability attorney as soon as possible. Early investigation is crucial to preserving evidence and building a strong case.
Don’t Wait—Contact Dordick Law Corporation Today
If a defective product has injured you or someone you care about, time matters. California’s statute of limitations gives you only two years to file your claim. The sooner you contact our office, the sooner we can begin investigating your case and preserving critical evidence.
Contact Dordick Law Corporation today to discuss your product liability claim. We serve clients throughout Los Angeles and California. Our attorneys understand the pain and financial burden you’re facing. We’re committed to holding manufacturers accountable and fighting for the compensation you deserve.
Call (310) 551-0949 now for your free consultation.
Don’t let a defective product’s manufacturer escape responsibility. Let our experienced legal team help you recover the damages you’re entitled to under California law.
