Philadelphia Product Liability Lawyers

• Gather and preserve evidence. It is crucial that your attorney preserves the physical evidence in your case before it is lost or misplaced.

• Question witnesses. Your attorney should interview key witnesses in your case. It is important that witnesses be questioned as early in the process as possible before they forget crucial details about your accident.

• Determine liability. Many times, companies will try to pin the blame for an accident on the injured person. A knowledgeable products liability lawyer will be able to sort through the facts, question the potentially liable parties, and determine precisely who is at fault for your injuries.

• Secure expert witnesses. Since expert witnesses tend to be vital in product liability cases, your attorney should have access to an array of experts across a wide range of fields to testify on your behalf.

• Determine damages. An attorney will review your medical records, with an appropriate expert, to determine the extent of your injuries. Companies may argue that you had a preexisting injury. However, an experienced attorney understands that the existence of prior injuries does not preclude a person from compensation for the aggravation of those prior injuries.

A Philadelphia product liability lawyer is the best person to protect injured consumers and Pennsylvania residents. Personal injury lawyers have knowledge of product liability law and the experience necessary to file strong product liability claims. They can evaluate if you were injured due to a dangerous or defective product and recover the compensation you deserve.

The Philadelphia product liability attorneys at the Law Offices of Craig A. Altman know how to identify the responsible parties, determine if your injuries are the result of a product defect, a dangerous product, manufacturing defect, and can manage the complex cases often seen in a product liability case.

The first thing anyone should do if injured is to seek medical treatment. Your health and well-being are paramount.

If you or a family member or other person on your behalf is able, you should follow these general guidelines. It will protect you, make your case stronger and enable your Philadelphia product liability lawyers to better evaluate your case:

• Do not throw away the defective products

• Collect the names of witnesses

• Obtain a copy of your medical records

• Journal all facts and details you remember about the accident

• Journal your medical treatment

• Keep all doctor appointments and follow doctor’s orders for recovery and treatment

• Do not speak to the other party’s insurance adjusters

• Do not give a recorded statement to an adjuster or car insurance company

• Do not admit fault to any parties, witnesses, insurance adjusters, or others

• Stay off social media (no comments, photos, or updates on your status)

Your Philadelphia product liability lawyers are best positioned to assist you once you have received medical care. They will advise you on how to best seek financial recovery for injuries resulting from unsafe products.

As the victim of defective products, you may have suffered severe or even catastrophic injuries leading to economic claims (lost wages, medical bills) or non-economic damages (emotional distress. Injuries for which you can recover damages include:

• Broken bones

• Brain injuries (TBI)

• Spinal cord injuries

• Neck and back injuries

• Lacerations

• Burns

• Broken bones

• Scarring

• Sprain, strains and soft tissue damage

• Mental or emotional anguish

• Loss of vision or hearing

• Amputation

• Paralysis

• Wrongful death

There are many legal issues in a product liability case. A product liability lawyer will be best able to evaluate your case and determine, based on the facts and circumstances, what kind of personal injury claim you may have under Pennsylvania law for your physical pain, medical bills, medical treatment, and non-economic damages.

In a defective product case, you may be able to recover economic, noneconomic, and punitive damages. In Pennsylvania, there are two main types of damages: compensatory damages and punitive damages:

Compensatory damages are designed to make you whole after an accident. You may suffer both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages include:

• Medical bills and expenses

• Lost wages

• Property damage

Non-economic damages by their nature are more difficult to calculate. This is where pain and suffering and emotional distress are covered. These damages include:

• Loss of ability to work

• Loss of future earnings

• Loss of enjoyment of life

• Loss of consortium 

• Emotional pain and distress

Punitive damages are designed to punish a person for intentional conduct. This means the conduct of the manufacturer was more than negligent. While punitive damages may not be appropriate in a product liability case, that does not mean your personal injury lawyer won’t consider them depending on the facts of your case.

There is no simple answer to this question. Each case has to be evaluated by an experienced personal injury attorney in order to determine the potential amount of damages an injured person can recover.

Initially, your personal injury lawyer will weigh how severe your injuries were; your age and health at the time of the accident; whether you have a job or not and if you were the sole provider for the family and how many members you supported; and whether you had any fault in the accident.

Products liability law is complex. However, if the defective products result in injuries, you have legal rights and can file a product liability case. As with any personal injury claim, there will be both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages will compensate you for financial costs incurred as a result of the accident. The idea is to “make you whole” or in other words, put you back in the financial place you were in before the accident Such damages would include:

• Present and future medical expenses which includes ambulance fees, hospitalization, surgery, medication, medical equipment, surgeries, and doctor visits

• Physical therapy and other necessary and related rehabilitation treatment and costs

• The cost of replacing or repairing damaged property

• Lost Income and wages

• Loss of future earnings

• Temporary or permanent disability

These types of damages are relatively straightforward. So long as they are related to the accident, they are proven by the medical bills and expenses incurred.

Non-economic damages include:

• Emotional distress

• Pain and suffering

• Disfigurement

• Scarring

• Loss of consortium

• Loss of enjoyment of life

These damages require a different level of proof than the economic damages as there are no bills to prove the amount. This does not mean the damages are any less real. They require the experience and knowledge of a negligence lawyer. Product liability attorneys will have knowledge of how the insurance company may weigh a claim for these non-economic damages and be able to evaluate what kind of demand they may make and/or argue for in a settlement conference or at a trial.