Product Liability

Protecting Consumers from Product Defects

People use hundreds of products every day without constant fear of injury. This comfort in the safety of products is partly due to the fact that corporations can be held liable for harm caused by their products. Products liability law creates a safer, healthier world for consumers.

The Rudman Law Firm, APC advocates for the rights of consumers. Our attorneys draw on more than 75 years of combined experience and a strong determination to reach justice for victims injured by defective products. Our principal lawyer sits on the Board of Governors and serves on the Executive Committee of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), the largest local plaintiffs’ bar in the country.

Our Los Angeles product liability attorneys work tirelessly to hold the corporations who designed, produced or sold you an unsafe product accountable for damages. After meticulous investigation and careful consideration, we choose the products liability theory that most appropriately fits the facts of a particular case.

Strict Liability

Under a strict liability claim, the designer, manufacturer or vendor is liable for a product that caused harm, while being used in a reasonably foreseeable manner, because the product:

• Contained a manufacturing defect, or
• Was designed with a defect, or
• Did not provide adequate instructions for safe use, or
• Did not adequately warn about potential hazards

Negligence

A negligence product liability claim requires proof that the corporation’s actions or inaction resulted in a harmful defect. The elements of a negligence claim are:

• The corporation designed, produced, sold, installed, inspected, repaired or leased the product
• The corporation was negligent in its actions
• The person using the product was injured
• The corporation’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing the harm

Express Warranty

Understandably, product users rely upon the information they receive from the manufacturer or vendor to judge the safety of a product. The company does not have to specifically use the word “warranty” to be held liable for a breach of an express warranty, but the claim must satisfy these elements:

• The corporation made an express statement or promise or gave a description of the product or a sample
• The product did not perform as stated or meet the quality represented
• The injured party took reasonable steps within a reasonable amount of time to notify the corporation of the problem
• The user was injured
• The failure of the product was a substantial factor in causing the injuries

Implied Warranty

A warranty may also be implied by the actions or inactions of the merchant that marketed the product, including the implied warranty of:

• Merchantability:The product did not have the quality expected
• Merchantability of food:The food was not fit for human consumption
• Fitness for a particular purpose:The product was not suitable for its intended purpose

Recover Compensation for Damages Caused by a Defective Product

The Rudman Law Firm, APC protects consumers’ rights to safe products. Schedule your free case evaluation by contacting our Encino office at (818) 769-6969 or toll free at (844) 478-3626 / (844) 4RUDMAN.

Every Los Angeles product liability attorney at our firm handles your claim on a contingency fee basis, so there is no risk in pursuing justice.