At Schneiderman Trial Attorneys, we understand that consumers place their trust in manufacturers every day. When defective products cause serious injuries, our dedicated product liability attorneys fight to hold corporations accountable. Our firm combines technical expertise with aggressive advocacy to secure the compensation California consumers deserve when they’re harmed by dangerous products.
Free Product Liability Evaluation | No Recovery, No Fee | Technical & Legal Expertise
California’s product liability laws provide strong protections for consumers injured by defective products. Under California’s strict liability standard, manufacturers and sellers can be held responsible for injuries caused by their products without the injured party having to prove negligence. This consumer-friendly legal framework creates powerful opportunities for recovery, but requires sophisticated legal representation to navigate effectively.
Schneiderman Trial Attorneys handles product liability cases involving all types of defects:
Design defects occur when a product’s fundamental design renders it unreasonably dangerous, even when manufactured correctly and used as intended. California applies the “consumer expectation test” and the “risk-benefit test” to evaluate design defect claims.
Our firm represents clients injured by design defects including:
We work with engineering experts, industrial designers, and safety specialists to analyze product designs and identify specific flaws. Our technical approach includes computer modeling, prototype testing, and failure analysis to demonstrate how alternative designs would have prevented injuries. We understand the complex interplay between applicable industry standards, governmental regulations, and design best practices.
For medical device and pharmaceutical cases, we collaborate with specialized experts in biomechanics, pharmacology, and medical research to establish how design flaws led to injuries. We analyze FDA approval processes, clinical trial data, and post-market surveillance reports to build comprehensive cases against powerful pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers.
Manufacturing defects occur when a product deviates from its intended design during production, creating dangerous conditions in specific units or batches. These cases often involve proving that a specific product differed from design specifications or other units in the same product line.
Our manufacturing defect expertise includes cases involving:
Our approach to manufacturing defect cases includes detailed forensic analysis of the specific product that caused injury, often comparing it to properly manufactured examples of the same product. We work with metallurgists, industrial engineers, quality control experts, and testing laboratories to scientifically document manufacturing deviations.
We understand how to obtain and analyze internal manufacturing records, quality control data, and supplier information through the discovery process. For cases involving systematic manufacturing problems, we investigate similar incidents and complaints, sometimes collaborating with attorneys handling similar cases nationwide to establish patterns of defects.
Even properly designed and manufactured products can be defective if they lack adequate warnings about non-obvious dangers or proper instructions for safe use. California law imposes a duty on manufacturers to warn consumers about potential hazards associated with their products.
We handle failure to warn cases involving:
Our attorneys work with human factors experts, warnings specialists, and industry-specific professionals to establish what warnings would have been adequate and how proper warnings would have prevented injury. We analyze industry standards for warnings, including ANSI Z535 standards, ISO guidelines, and regulatory requirements for specific product categories.
For pharmaceutical cases, we thoroughly examine the evolution of warning labels, physician package inserts, and direct-to-consumer advertising to identify inadequate risk disclosures. We understand the FDA’s role in label approval and the pharmaceutical industry’s responsibility to update warnings when new risks emerge.
California’s product liability laws offer several advantages to injured consumers:
Unlike ordinary negligence claims, California’s strict liability standard for product liability means plaintiffs don’t need to prove the manufacturer was negligent or careless. Instead, they must establish:
This consumer-friendly standard recognizes that manufacturers are in the best position to ensure product safety and should bear responsibility when their products cause harm.
California law allows product liability claims against multiple parties in the distribution chain, including:
This expansive approach ensures injured consumers can seek recovery even when the primary manufacturer is foreign, insolvent, or difficult to pursue. Our firm identifies all potentially liable parties in the distribution chain to maximize recovery options.
California applies pure comparative fault principles in product liability cases. This means that even if you were partially responsible for your injury, you can still recover damages, though your recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault. Even in cases where the consumer misused the product, recovery may be possible if the misuse was reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer.
Product liability claims in California generally must be filed within two years of the date of injury. However, the discovery rule may extend this period if the connection between the product and injury wasn’t immediately apparent. For latent injuries that develop over time, the clock may not start running until you discover or reasonably should have discovered that the product caused your harm.
California does not have a general statute of repose for product liability claims, which is beneficial to consumers injured by older products. However, specific products like aircraft have special limitations periods.
Schneiderman Trial Attorneys brings significant technical and legal resources to product liability cases:
Our product liability cases begin with thorough technical investigation:
Product liability cases require aggressive discovery to obtain critical corporate documents:
Our legal team understands how to navigate complex electronic discovery issues in corporate environments, including how to identify and request relevant electronically stored information while fighting against inappropriate confidentiality designations.
Product defect injuries often involve complex medical causation issues. Our firm works with qualified medical experts to establish the connection between the product defect and your specific injuries. We develop comprehensive damages presentations that account for:
Our product liability litigation strategy is built on:
While prepared for trial, we recognize that many product liability cases resolve through settlement. Our firm creates settlement leverage through:
Schneiderman Trial Attorneys handles product liability cases involving virtually any consumer or industrial product that causes injury, including:
Product liability cases demand technical understanding that general personal injury firms often lack. Our legal team brings expertise and knowledge to product cases:
Product liability litigation against major manufacturers requires significant resources. Schneiderman Trial Attorneys commits the necessary resources to level the playing field:
Our attorneys have successfully taken on some of the world’s largest manufacturers across multiple industries. We understand corporate defense strategies and how to overcome them:
For products that have caused widespread harm, our attorneys participate in coordinated proceedings and multi-district litigation (MDL). We understand how to leverage the collective knowledge of these proceedings while maintaining focus on your individual case and specific damages.
Some indicators include the product malfunctioning or breaking during normal use, injuries despite following all instructions, similar reported problems with the same product, or recalls for the product. Our technical experts can examine the product and your circumstances to determine if a defect caused your injury.
It’s crucial to preserve the product in its post-incident condition. Don’t alter, repair, or return it, as the physical evidence is often critical to your case. If possible, retain all packaging, instructions, receipts, and related materials. Contact us immediately for guidance on proper preservation.
Absolutely. Many dangerous products are never recalled, and recalls often happen only after numerous injuries. The absence of a recall does not prevent you from pursuing a product liability claim if the product was defective and caused your injury.
While helpful, a receipt is not always necessary. We can often establish your purchase or use of the product through credit card statements, photographs, witness statements, registration records, warranty information, or other means. Don’t assume lack of a receipt prevents your claim.
Generally, California requires product liability lawsuits to be filed within two years of the date of injury. However, this can be extended in cases where the connection between the product and injury wasn’t immediately apparent. Contact us promptly for an evaluation of your specific timeline.
