What is California Product Liability Law?

Have you been injured due to a defective or dangerous product? Product liability law refers to the legal responsibility that the product manufacturers, distributors, and sellers possess for any serious harm or physical injuries sustained by consumers in the use of the products they have designed, manufactured, and sold. When products are found to be defective in some way or are otherwise dangerous because they lack adequate warning labels or instructions, these products could prove to cause serious injuries to customers. If such an unfortunate occurrence transpires, the injured party and their legal representatives have the right to file a product liability claim.

California’s product liability laws protect consumers from dangerous or faulty products and ensure injured parties have legal options for taking action and recovering financial compensation. The laws are designed to encourage businesses to produce safe and reliable consumer products or else be held accountable when they fail to do so.

If you have been injured by a defective or dangerous product, contact our law firm to schedule your free initial consultation with our legal team. Our Rosemead-based law offices are dedicated to helping personal injury victims recover compensation for their injuries and other losses, and we would be proud to represent your case in pursuit of financial recovery.

What Are Strict Liability Claims?

Often referred to as strict product liability, this legal doctrine holds that manufacturers, distributors, and sellers are responsible for injuries and damages caused by malfunctioning, defective, or unreasonably dangerous products, regardless of whether or not they were negligent in the creation or sales of these products. Essentially, this means that in California, if a product is found to be dangerous or defective and harms a consumer, then responsible parties may be held legally liable for damages without the need for the injured party to prove negligence or fault.

In negligence claims, the injured party and their legal representatives must establish that the defendant was negligent in some way. Strict liability claims do not require this. It is sufficient enough to establish that the product was defective, malfunctioning, or unreasonably dangerous and caused real harm.

What Are the Different Types of Defective Products?

There are three primary categories of product liability claims in California:

Design defects involve dangerous conditions in the product design. These claims seek to prove that products were inherently flawed at the design stage.

Manufacturing defects are another category of product liability claims. In such cases, the injured party seeks to prove that manufacturing defects occurred during the production or the assembly stage of the product and that these defects rendered the products unsafe for standard use.

Marketing defects and failure to warn claims pertain to hurt product liability cases where the product was marketed improperly or lacked adequate warning signs and instructions to consumers. If consumers are not adequately informed about the potential risks or how to use a product properly, it could result in serious harm.

What Are Common Product Liability Cases?

Common product liability cases in California include the following:

  • Defective or dangerous children’s and baby toys.
  • Dangerous building materials like asbestos or lead paint.
  • Defective medical devices.
  • Dangerous drugs.
  • Malfunctioning automotive equipment.
  • Defective consumer products.
  • Food poisoning and undeclared allergens.
  • Defective household appliances.
  • And more.

What Are Common Injuries Suffered from Dangerous Product Defects?

Consumer product accidents can result in a wide array of injuries, both minor and severe, as well as damage to personal property.

Common injuries sustained from product liability accidents include the following:

  • Allergic reactions.
  • Broken bones and bone fractures.
  • Burns.
  • Choking.
  • Electrocution or electric shock.
  • Eye injuries and vision loss.
  • Hearing loss.
  • Inhalation or ingestion injuries.
  • Internal organ damage.
  • Lacerations and cuts.
  • Poisonings.
  • Psychological and emotional distress.
  • Respiratory problems.
  • Soft tissue injuries.
  • Spinal cord injuries.
  • Suffocation or asphyxiation.
  • Traumatic brain injuries.

What Should You Do if You’ve Been Injured by a Defective Product?

If you have been hurt by a defective or dangerous product, you must seek emergency medical attention immediately. Even if you believe your injuries to be minor, some injuries pronounce themselves more in the coming weeks, so you must get medical aid.

Attempt to maintain the defective product in its current condition. This will be used as evidence in your product liability claim.

Finally, if you haven’t already, contact a personal injury attorney experienced in handling product liability claims, such as the attorneys at our law firm.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Product Defect Cases in California?

After a product injury, legal liability could potentially rest on the shoulders of anyone who participated in the design, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, or sale of a dangerous product.

Potentially liable parties include the following:

  • The designer.
  • The product manufacturer.
  • Manufacturers of various parts that went into the production of the product.
  • The party who assembled or installed the product.
  • The marketing team of the product.
  • The wholesaler.
  • The store or dealership that sold the product.

How to Prove That a Product Was Defective or Malfunctioning?

To prove your product liability case, several elements must be established.

These include:

  • Proving that the product was unreasonably dangerous, malfunctioning, or defective.
  • The product was defective when it left the defendant’s possession.
  • The consumer’s use of the product was reasonable.
  • There were injuries sustained.
  • The cause of the injury can be directly traced back to the dangerous product.
  • You suffered real damages as a result of these injuries.

What Kind of Financial Compensation Can Be Recovered?

With a strong personal injury case, economic and non-economic damages can be recovered. In some cases, punitive damages from the defendant may also be pursued.

Economic damages may include the following:

  • Past medical bills and future medical expenses.
  • Property damage.
  • Lost wages and lost income earning capacity.
  • Physical therapy expenses.
  • Funeral, burial, and memorial expenses.

Non-economic damages may include:

  • Emotional distress.
  • Loss of companionship or consortium.
  • Lost quality of life.
  • Physical pain and suffering.
  • Wrongful death.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys Today

There is a strict statute of limitations of two years from the date of the injury or from the date from which the injury was discovered to file a product liability claim against the defense. Do not delay in seeking professional legal representation for your personal injury claim.

Our law firm has years of experience representing personal injury cases such as these. We would be proud to represent your interests as you pursue a full and fair settlement for your injuries and other losses.

Schedule a free case evaluation with the Law Office of Daniel Deng by contacting us at 626-900-1060.