When you buy a product – whatever that product might be – you have certain rights as a consumer. Pennsylvania’s product liability law protects your right to be safe when using an item that you purchased.

Manufacturers, both small and large, have a legal obligation to design, manufacture, and sell safe products that do not pose an unreasonable risk to the consumer’s safety or health.

When a manufacturer or other parties in the chain of distribution violate this legal obligation and you are harmed by a defective or unsafe product, you should consult with a product liability attorney from Dan Doyle Law Group.

In a nation that runs on consumer goods, with billions of products being sold each year, it is no wonder why defective or inherently dangerous products enter the market from time to time.

How Does Pennsylvania Product Liability Law Protect Consumers?

An unsuspecting consumer is at risk of suffering injuries when using defective and dangerous power tools, faulty gym equipment, defective furniture, dangerous footwear, or when smoking a waterpipe or hookah.

Pennsylvania’s product liability law allows an injured consumer to hold a manufacturer, distributor, seller, supplier, installer, and other parties responsible for the failure to prevent a defective product from getting into the hands of consumers.

There are no federal product liability laws, which is why it is vital to be represented by a Bensalem product liability lawyer who would help you navigate through state laws governing liability for injuries caused by dangerous and defective items.

Causes of Action in Product Liability Cases

There are four potential causes of action in Pennsylvania product liability cases:

  • Strict liability: Under strict liability, a manufacturer, seller, distributor, supplier, and other parties in the chain of distribution can be sued for a consumer’s injury if the product was defective or inherently dangerous by the time it reached the consumer.
  • Negligence: Under the theory of negligence, a plaintiff is required to prove that the defendant (manufacturer and other parties) owed him or her a duty of care, that duty was breached, and the breach of duty caused harm, which, in its turn, resulted in actual damages.
  • Breach of warranty: A manufacturer and other parties in the chain of distribution can also be sued for breach of the implied warranty of merchantability. In Pennsylvania, plaintiffs can also bring a claim if the manufacturer breached the implied warranty of the product’s fitness for a particular activity or purpose.
  • Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law: If a consumer’s injury was caused by the manufacturer’s participation in deceptive or unfair practices or inequitable competition, he or she might have grounds for a product liability claim.

 

Do You Need a Bensalem Product Liability Attorney?

First and foremost, hiring a Bensalem product liability lawyer is a wise decision because manufacturers are often represented by teams of skilled defense lawyers who help minimize or deny liability claims pursued by injured consumers.

Taking on a product liability claim against a large corporation on your own can jeopardize your ability to recover damages. By hiring a lawyer, you do not lose anything because our attorneys at Dan Doyle Law Group work with clients on a contingency fee basis (meaning, you owe us nothing if we do not obtain the compensation you deserve).