Product Liability Lawyer St. Louis: Protecting Your Rights and Seeking Justice
In the U.S., 12.7 million people were treated in emergency rooms in 2022 as a result of consumer product injuries. The potential impact of such injuries includes lost wages, medical bills, loss of earning capacity, emotional suffering, and in the worst cases, death.
If you or your loved one have suffered an injury from a product, you could seek compensation for your damages through a product liability claim. A product liability attorney at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC can assess your case to determine if you can seek compensation through a product liability claim or if you need to consider other legal options.
St. Louis Product Liability Claims
Product liability refers to the legal responsibility that product manufacturers, designers, sellers, and distributors have when a consumer gets an injury or illness as a direct result of a dangerous or defective product. If a manufacturing defect causes harm, then the victim can pursue a civil claim to recover compensation for their losses.
For a product liability to be successful, the claimant has to prove that the product was defective in some way and they suffered harm even though they used the product as intended. This includes defective medical services and products. In some cases, failure to warn consumers about any risks of using the product can also be a case of product liability.
Product liability cases follow strict liability rules, which offer victims the advantage of pursuing claims for compensation without showing intentional wrongdoing. As long as there was a defect in the product that caused them harm, they do not need to prove the defendant was careless or did something wrong purposely.
How Are Product Liability Claims Different From Other Personal Injury Cases?
Both product liability and personal injury cases involve seeking compensation for injuries from the at-fault party or their insurance company. In a product liability case, the defendant is typically the seller or manufacturer of the product. A personal injury case has a wider scope and can include a case against any individual, business, or government entity.
A key difference between these two is the strict liability rules, which apply to product liability cases but not to personal injury claims. This means personal injury victims must prove the defendant acted negligently or intentionally. Another difference is that product liability cases are generally more technical and expert witnesses are engaged to determine if injury or illness was a result of defective product. You can contact one of our experienced product liability lawyers to learn more about the specifics of a product liability claim in St. Louis, MO.
St. Louis Product Liability Claim Process
The first step to the product liability claims process is to determine if you have the legal grounds to file such a case or if an alternative legal option is needed. If your case meets the requirements of a product liability case you can initiate, the process by identifying the manufacturing defects and filing a product liability lawsuit against the responsible party.
The lawsuit will outline the allegations and your demand for compensation. The involved parties can negotiate to reach a settlement.
However, if your product liability case is not settled out of court, you can take the case to trial, where your lawyer will present evidence and arguments to support your claim. After the hearings, the court will render a judgment on the case. If the outcome is not in your favor, you can appeal the court’s decision.
How Can St. Louis Product Liability Lawyers Help
An experienced product liability lawyer can handle all legal aspects of the case. They are well-versed in local and state laws that govern product liability cases. They also have the resources to gather evidence that you might not have access to, such as in-depth product information.
In addition, they could use the network to find expert witnesses to help support your claim. Perhaps most importantly, hiring a product liability lawyer can alleviate the burden of building a case and allow you to focus on your recovery from the injury the product caused.
Schedule Consultation with a St. Louis Product Liability Lawyer
Contact Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our St Louis personal injury attorneys. Product liability cases are high stakes for the manufacturer or seller, so you will likely face stiff resistance. At Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, we know how to go up against product manufacturers and sellers. Allow our experienced product liability attorneys to fight for your rights.