North Carolina Product Liability Lawyers

What Is Product Liability?

Product liability is an area of law that holds those involved in creating, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing defective or inherently dangerous products responsible for injuries those products cause.

Generally speaking, there are three types of product defects:

• Design defects occur when a product is designed to be inherently dangerous for ordinary use. They affect all products with the same design.
• Manufacturing defects: A product has this type of defect when an error occurs during manufacturing, rendering the product defective and unsafe to use.
• Labeling defects: Also known as “failure to warn” or “marketing defects,” these occur when a product lacks safety warnings, possible side effects, instructions, or similar information.

Because businesses have products liability insurance to protect them from lawsuits, it’s important that you speak with an attorney about a potential claim.

Common Types of Defective Product Cases 

Companies that make and sell products have a duty to ensure that their products are free from unreasonable hazards. Yet, many defective items are released to market each year.

Some examples of common defective product liability cases include:

• Automotive defects: If a single component of a car, truck or motorcycle malfunctions, it can cause injury or death to the driver, passengers, and other motorists. Common automotive defects include faulty tires, airbags that fail to deploy or that deploy without impact, seatbelts that do not lock, and braking mechanisms that fail to engage.
• Pharmaceutical defects: New drugs must undergo rigorous testing before being released. Yet, some companies fail to discover dangerous side effects until too late.
• Toy defects: A toy can injure a child if it has small parts, is coated in toxic lead paint, or has sharp edges.

Because most manufacturing companies carry product liability insurance to protect them against lawsuits, you must speak with an attorney about your potential claim. The North Carolina product liability lawyers of Lanier Law Group can provide you with aggressive and dedicated legal representation from start to finish.

Damages Recoverable in Product Liability Claims

If you’ve been injured by a defective product in North Carolina, you may be entitled to several forms of compensation. The types of damages you can pursue typically include:

• Medical Costs: Covers expenses for all medical treatments related to the injury, such as hospital bills, surgeries, doctor visits, medication, rehabilitation, and any necessary future medical care.
• Lost Income: If your injury keeps you from working, you may seek compensation for lost wages, covering your regular income, bonuses, and any other earnings you missed while recovering.  
• Diminished Earning Capacity: If your injury impacts your ability to work going forward, you may be eligible for compensation due to the decreased capacity to earn income.
• Pain and Suffering: Settlement for the physical pain and emotional distress endured due to the injury. This can also include loss of enjoyment of life if the injury limits your ability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed.
• Property Loss: If the defective product damaged your personal property, you could recover the costs associated with repair or replacement.
• Punitive Damages: In situations where the defendant’s behavior is particularly reckless or intentional, punitive damages may be awarded to penalize the responsible party and serve as a deterrent to prevent similar conduct .  
• Loss of Consortium: Payment for the impact of the injury on your relationships, including the loss of companionship, support, or affection from a spouse or family member.

Each case is unique, so it’s important to work with an experienced North Carolina product liability lawyer who can evaluate your situation and pursue the maximum compensation available.

Proving a Product Liability Claim

As soon as you suffer an injury from a product, you should seek advice from an experienced North Carolina product liability lawyer.

We at Lanier Law Group can review your case and help you prove liability. Remember, parties involved in creating, manufacturing, and distributing products have strict liability, meaning you do not need to prove any certain party was negligent.

In product liability claims in North Carolina, you must prove the following elements:

• You suffered an actual injury.
• The product was dangerous, defective, poorly designed or did not have adequate warning labels.
• The defective product was the cause of your harm.
• You used the product with reasonable care and in the manner intended.

The statute of limitations for defective product liability claims in North Carolina is two years. This means that if you are injured by a defective product anywhere in the state, you must file suit within two years of injury or you may be forever barred from recovering damages. An experienced defective product attorney from Lanier Law Group can help you through the process.

Contact Our North Carolina Product Liability Attorneys Today

When injured by a defective product, you want to restore your life as soon as possible. Lanier Law Group can help you do that.

We are widely respected for our aggressive approach to securing justice and fair compensation on behalf of our clients. With a proven track record of results—including many successful jury trials—our team has what it takes to fight tirelessly for you. By choosing Lanier Law Group, you’re putting a heavyweight in your corner. Reach out to us today and let us fight for you.