The Townsley Law Firm
3102 Enterprise Boulevard
Lake Charles, LA 70601
If you sustained an injury from a defective product, you might be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer or another negligent party. The Townsley Law Firm could represent you in a case against the at-fault company and hold them liable for their actions.
Products should be safe for consumer use. They must meet quality and safety standards and function correctly. A design flaw or error during the manufacturing process could place a dangerous product on the market. Even if you use it as intended, you could suffer an injury due to the inherent danger.
The Townsley Law Firm is ready to protect your rights and fight for the money you’re owed from the manufacturer. You were not responsible for your injury and shouldn’t be forced to pay for your medical treatment and other expenses. Our Lake Charles defective products attorneys will be the advocate you need to heal and move forward.
Call us at (337) 377-0584 today for your free consultation.
People depend on a range of products during their daily routines. Whether you need to drive to work, cook dinner, put away your laundry, or manage symptoms of a medical condition, you can’t complete these tasks without specific consumer products.
You probably assume you’re safe while using a household appliance or doctor-prescribed medication. However, a defect could prevent it from working as intended and lead to an injury.
The most common defective products include:
If you were injured while using any of these or another defective product, reach out to The Townsley Law Firm to speak with a defective product lawyer in Lake Charles, LA. We will review the incident to determine whether we can hold the manufacturer liable for the harm you suffered.
Since many people and companies are responsible for manufacturing a product, multiple parties could be at fault for the defect. These parties can include:
You might not know who you can hold liable for the injury you suffered. Investigating the incident and gathering evidence is often a challenge. It would be best if you contact The Townsley Law Firm so one of our defective products lawyers in Lake Charles, LA, can handle the process on your behalf.
We know how to review the circumstances of defective product cases to determine who was at fault. We can obtain evidence and build a case against the manufacturer to prove its negligence contributed to your injuries.
There are many steps involved in creating a product for consumer use. Unfortunately, that means there are many ways a defect can occur that can place users at risk of harm. There are three main types of defects products can contain – design, manufacturing, and failure to warn.
Design Defect
A defect in a product’s design happens when someone makes a mistake during the planning, design, or development stage. The error makes the product inherently unsafe for consumer use. Even if someone uses the product as intended, they could still sustain an injury from the defect.
Common examples of design defects include:
Manufacturing Defect
A manufacturing defect refers to an error, defect, or flaw that happens during the manufacturing phase of a product. Despite a safe design, something occurs during production, making the product dangerous for consumer use.
Common examples of manufacturing defects include:
Failure to Warn
Manufacturers are supposed to follow quality and safety standards while manufacturing products. If they knowingly place an unsafe product on the market, they could be liable for injuries resulting from the defect.
Instructions are necessary to inform consumers of how to use the product. Warning labels are also crucial, so users understand the potential risks they take by using the product.
Failure to warn occurs when the manufacturing company doesn’t include warnings regarding the dangers of its product. Some common examples of this type of defect include:
If any of these defects contributed to the injury you suffered while using an unsafe product, you should reach out to The Townsley Law Firm to discuss your legal options. You have a right to hold the manufacturer accountable and pursue the maximum possible compensation for your injuries and losses. Your medical expenses and other incurred costs should not be your financial responsibility if you’re not partially at fault for the incident.
Whether the manufacturer, supplier, or another party were at fault for the product defect, you could file a claim with their insurance company. The compensation you receive could compensate for the losses you suffered following your injury from the defective product. These losses could include:
The insurance companies representing manufacturers are often aggressive and intimidating to claimants. At The Townsley Law Firm, our Lake Charles defective products attorneys have experience dealing with insurance companies. We’re not afraid to fight for our clients and attempt to recover the full and fair settlement available.
If the insurance company refuses to provide an adequate offer or denies the claim altogether, we can file a lawsuit on your behalf. You can depend on us to work hard to try to reach your desired outcome.
In the case of huge companies, they are more than likely self-insured, which means we would proceed directly to the lawsuit stage of pursuing compensation on your behalf. Giant corporations don’t scare us. We are prepared to do battle to make sure you get the compensation you deserve for the wrongdoing of the company.
Product defect cases require following a specific timeframe when you sue the manufacturer for compensation. Louisiana has a one-year statute of limitations. That means you have to file your lawsuit within one year from the date of your injury.
The discovery rule can extend the timeframe allowed for initiating a lawsuit in a defective product case. Sometimes, it’s not immediately apparent that an injury or illness resulted from a defective product. When that happens, the injured consumer would have one year from the date they knew or should have reasonably known they suffered harm from the defect. However, the statute cannot extend beyond three years from the date of the incident.
It’s vital to understand the effect your actions could have on the compensation you receive during a lawsuit. Louisiana’s pure comparative negligence doctrine allows the jury to reduce the plaintiff’s financial award by the percentage of fault they share for their injury.
For example, let’s say you suffered $100,000 in compensable losses from using a defective product. If the manufacturer were 100 percent liable, you could recover the total $100,000 in compensation. However, if the jury finds you share 20 percent of the fault for suffering an injury, you could only receive up to $80,000.
You should seek medical attention if you believe the product you used contains a defect that contributed to your injury. The doctor can evaluate your injury and might recommend a treatment plan for your recovery. It’s crucial to follow your physician’s orders. Attend all of your appointments regularly. If you skip appointments, it could negatively impact your insurance claim.
Maintain every record and piece of evidence you come across that is associated with the product defect. While you’re treating your injury, you should keep copies of every medical record, bill, report, and other documentation you receive. Hold onto the product you used when you suffered an injury to prove the defect exists.
Hire a defective products lawyer in Lake Charles from The Townsley Law Firm. It’s critical to contact us immediately following the incident. We can start building your case and deal with the legal aspects, so you can focus on your medical care. We will investigate what happened thoroughly and use the resources at our disposal to gather all available evidence to show that the manufacturer should be liable for your resulting injuries.
At The Townsley Law Firm, we have helped injured clients recover from the wrongdoing of others since 1995. We will take a personalized approach to your unique situation and create the appropriate legal strategy to try to achieve the best possible result. We understand how much you’ve struggled since your injury and want to help you get back on your feet so you can move forward with your life.
Our award-winning Lake Charles defective products attorneys have a reputation for hard work and dedication. We have built a strong reputation for the dependable legal services we offer to accident victims because we believe in standing up for those in need and making our community a safer place.
If you were injured while using a defective product, contact The Townsley Law Firm today. Our legal team is ready to take on your case and help you hold the negligent manufacturer responsible for their misconduct. Call us for a free consultation at (337) 377-0584.