St. Petersburg Defective Product Attorneys
Despite government laws, regulations and standards designed to protect us from dangerous products, many still manage to reach the market and injure unsuspecting consumers. Young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to the dangers of defective products, but people of all ages are susceptible to harm from items found in homes, yards and pools, as well as on our roads and waterways.
If you have been injured by a defective product, getting prompt medical attention and ensuring you get the care you need to recover is crucial. It is also important to talk with an experienced St. Petersburg product liability attorney as soon as possible. You may very well be able to hold the responsible parties accountable and get compensated for the injury, pain, suffering and losses you have suffered.
The skilled St. Petersburg product liability attorneys at Dennis Hernandez & Associates, PA have helped victims of defective product injuries for twenty-five years. We want to talk with you about your injury and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Injuries from Defective Products
Some injuries from defective products are quite minor, but many are very serious, even life-threatening. In general, the most common defective product injuries are:
- Choking – When children’s toys break and they put small parts in their mouths, they can cause serious internal injuries and death.
- Burn injuries – Defective electrical appliances and faulty wiring can be very dangerous, causing fires or explosions and burning people who are close to them.
- Broken bones – When a product, such as a ladder or exercise equipment unexpectedly breaks, it can lead to broken bones for the victims.
- Head injuries – Defective ladders, machinery and equipment can lead to serious head injuries.
- Organ injuries – Defective pharmaceutical products can cause serious injuries to internal organs, including lung damage, brain damage, liver and kidney failure and cardiac arrest. Defective equipment can also lead to organ injuries.
- Death – Defective automobile parts, such as tires, brakes and fuel tanks, and operating defective equipment can lead to a fatal accident.
Responsibility for Florida Defective Product Injuries
According to Florida law, anyone in a product’s distribution chain can potentially be held liable for injuries caused by a defective product. This list of potentially liable parties includes:
- The designer of the product
- The manufacturer of the product and/or of component parts
- The assembler or installer
- The distributor
- The wholesaler
- The retailer
Types of Product Defects in Florida Product Liability Lawsuits
In a Florida product liability lawsuit, you do not have to prove negligence on anyone’s part in the chain of distribution in order to recover damages. However, you do need to show you were injured by the product, that you used the product as intended, and that it had one of the following defects:
- Design defect – A defect that is a part of the original design of the product, although the designer did not intend for the product to be faulty. Since a design defect exists within the product design itself, all of the products manufactured with the same design have the defect.
- Manufacturing defect – A defect that is introduced during the manufacturing process. If a product has a safe design, but something that happens during manufacturing causes it to be defective, then the product has a manufacturing defect. Since the defect is introduced during manufacturing, not during the design process, only those products manufactured at the same time and same location will have the defect.
- Failure to warn defect – Many products cannot be made entirely safe because of the nature of the product itself. These products, such as electrical tools, household cleaning products, and heavy, potentially unstable furniture, for example, have a legal duty to have a warning label to warn consumers of potential dangers. If a warning is not adequate or not included with the product, then a “failure to warn” defect exists.
Compensation for Injuries from Defective Products
People who are injured by defective products may be able to file a product liability lawsuit and obtain financial compensation for their injury, pain, suffering and any losses they have suffered. If you have suffered a defective product injury, the experienced St. Petersburg product liability attorneys at Dennis Hernandez & Associates can help ensure your success by showing that the product had a defect, that you used the product as intended and that you suffered actual damages from using the product as intended.
In addition to the out-of-pocket medical expenses you incurred because of your injury, you may also be entitled to compensation for:
- Future medical expenses related to the injury
- Wages lost because of time off work due to the injury
- Diminished earning capacity because of the injury
- Emotional trauma, pain, and suffering you experienced because of the injury
- Other damages recoverable under Florida law
- If you are a surviving family member of someone who was fatally injured because of a defective product, you may also be entitled to compensation for your loss.
Experienced St. Petersburg Product Liability Attorneys Will Help You Win the Compensation You Deserve
If you have been injured by a defective product, or if a loved one has been fatally injured because of a defective product injury, please contact the experienced St. Petersburg product liability attorneys at Dennis Hernandez & Associates, PA as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.
Our product liability attorneys are committed to helping victims of defective product injuries get the justice and compensation they deserve for their injuries. We will make a strong case for your right to substantial compensation for physical, emotional, and financial damages and fight aggressively for a fair settlement or award.
We will not rush to settle out of court to avoid a trial but will negotiate aggressively on your behalf and, if called for, put our court experience and litigation skill to work fighting for the compensation you deserve. We will guide and support you throughout the entire legal process, and we won’t back down in the fight for justice.
Call us at 855-LAW-DENNIS or fill in the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website to get started on your case.