Savannah Product Liability Attorneys

Were Your Injuries Caused By a Defective Product?

When the recommended use of a consumer product results in injury or death, you have the legal right to seek compensation for lost wages, medical bills, long-term care, and punitive damages. The Savannah products liability lawyers at Tate Law Group, LLC are skilled in thoroughly investigating a product failure and identifying all liable parties that helped cause the injury through design flaws, deceptive marketing, or negligence.

Call us today at (912) 234-3030 to schedule a free consultation in person or over the phone. 

How We Can Help You Seek Fair Compensation

In any product liability case, it’s best to save the product in the condition it was in immediately following the accident. You should also take pictures of the product. Our attorneys consult with some of the best design engineers and product safety experts to look for information that would provide us with the cause of your injury — whether it was a design defect, manufacturing defect, or inadequate safety warning — which could lead to a claim of negligence.

Our law firm represents people who have been injured by defective products, such as:

There are many types of products in stores that could unintentionally cause harm to consumers; this is not a comprehensive list. If you have suffered a serious personal injury due to inadequate product warnings, product dysfunction, or manufacturer negligence, let us help you on the path to justice. We can help you get the monetary damages you need to pay for costly medical bills and expenses you may have accrued from your injuries.

There are limitations for filing a lawsuit, so time is of the essence.

Different Types of Product Defects

There are three different categories which refer to the specific way in which a product is defective:

• Manufacturing defects happen during the production or assembly process.
• Design defects take place prior to the product being put into production; during the design or testing phase.
• Warning defects can happen before, during or after a product is manufactured and marketed. These types of defects have to do with errors in any warnings that are included with certain products.

A product liability lawsuit requires you to prove some basic points: that you were injured, that the product caused your injury, that the product was actually defective, and that the maker had a duty to prevent these problems.

Essential Elements in a Product Liability Case

There are essential elements that must be present for a product liability case to have merit. It must be proven that the product used during the event of injury was defective. The condition of the product and how it was responsible for causing injury needs to be shown. It must be demonstrated that the product was in the same condition during the injury-causing event as it was when it first came into the victim’s possession. The product must have been used as intended during the event. It must also have been used in a manner that can be considered reasonable.

Do You Need to Show the Defective Product at Trial?

Ideally, a defective product lawyer will be able to show the product in question during a trial. However, this is not always possible. For instance, a product that burns for several minutes may be reduced to ashes, while a vehicle may be too mangled to allow for a defective part to be removed and shown to a jury. Under the malfunction doctrine, it may still be possible to prove that a defect caused an injury, assuming that other factors can be ruled out.

Types of Manufacturer Negligence in Georgia

In Georgia, a manufacturer may be liable for injury or wrongful death caused by a defective product under three separate legal theories: negligence, strict liability, and implied warranties.

• Negligence: You must show that the maker knew or should have known about the problem.
• Strict product liability: The issue is that the product itself is unreasonably dangerous.
• Breach of warranty: This is when a manufacturer promises that a product has certain characteristics, yet the product fails to meet the promised conditions, causing injury or death to the consumer.

Occasionally, a case includes unfair or deceptive acts on the part of the seller that violate the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act. The act includes a provision for triple damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.

What If the Manufacturer Didn’t Know About the Defect?

In a product liability case, a manufacturer will be held to a strict liability standard when it comes to determining culpability for your injuries. This means that the manufacturer is responsible for providing the public with a product that can be used safely when used as intended. Even if there was no prior knowledge of a defect during the manufacturing process, it won’t play a role in determining liability in a defective product lawsuit.

What Steps Should a Manufacturer Take to Ensure Safety?

A product manufacturer has a responsibility to the public the moment their items arrive on the market. A product manufacturer must do these four things to protect consumers from potential harm:

• Use the safest materials to manufacturer the products. If it’s a vehicle, then the manufacturer should use sturdy parts instead of trying to “save money” by purchasing flimsy materials. If it is a cosmetic manufacturer, that company should never use substances that could cause a skin disorder or a bad reaction.
• Test each product for glitches and dangers. Safety protocols such as crash tests and volunteer medical studies will uncover problems before the product is out to the masses. Extensive testing should always be done.
• Fix any issues that arise. Any imperfections that can cause harm to someone should be rectified before the product launches. Failure to do so can result in a lawsuit if someone gets hurt because of it.
• Warn the masses of any dangers. Manufacturers have a duty to warn people of any elements of their product that could potentially cause them harm. Because cigarette boxes contain graphic warnings regarding increased risk of lung cancer, for example, consumers are less likely to sue a tobacco company if they become ill.

Why You Should Hire a Products Liability Lawyer

There is a lot of legal paperwork and court documents that have to be filed before a product liability case can go in front of a jury. It is imperative to hire an experienced lawyer that has handled product liability cases in Georgia. They will be familiar with the state and federal laws that pertain to each type of product liability and how to best go about presenting your case. You can rest easier knowing that an expert in the field of product liability is on your side.

When you hire a Savannah products liability attorney from Tate Law Group, LLC to represent your case, you can rest assured that we are doing diligent research to prove the manufacturer’s negligence on your behalf, either in or out of court. We have reached several high-value settlements with companies across the country, getting our clients the money they truly need to get their life back on track after a personal injury due to products liability.

At Tate Law Group, LLC, our experienced product liability attorneys in Savannah have helped countless injured victims receive the compensation they deserve. Call (912) 234-3030.