Designers and manufacturers of consumer products and industrial equipment are required by law to make sure their products are free from defects that could cause serious injury or death. Consumer safety laws are clear: if someone gets hurt using a product in a reasonable and foreseeable way, the manufacturer can be held financially liable for those injuries. In some situations, strict product liability laws even allow for a manufacturer to be held responsible when a consumer was misusing the product.
If you’ve been hurt by a dangerous or defective product, contact an experienced product liability attorney at Bretz Injury Law in Kansas City. For over 30 years, Matthew Bretz has represented people seeking accountability for injuries and wrongful deaths caused by the negligence of others. Whether the defendant is a single individual or a major corporation, Bretz Injury Law has the experience and resources to take on your case and fight for you.
We handle defective product cases across a wide range of industries, including:
- Automotive defects
- Industrial products
- Construction equipment
- Home appliances and power tools
- Medical devices
- Unsafe medications
- Environmental hazards from chemicals
- Unsafe children’s toys
This list covers just a few of the defective product cases Bretz Injury Law handles. For more information about how we can help with your situation, call Bretz Injury Law today at (620) 662-3435 for a free consultation.
Our Nearby Kansas City Personal Injury Law Firm
Bretz Injury Law Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyer Kansas City
748 Ann Ave suite 114
Kansas City, KS 66101
(620) 662-3435
Holding Negligent Medical Device Manufacturers Accountable
While Bretz Injury Law handles all kinds of defective product cases, a significant part of the firm’s practice is focused on dangerous medical device claims. Medical device manufacturers are frequently backed by powerful corporate defense teams and shielded by state and federal legislation. Taking them on requires an attorney who knows how they operate and is prepared to go the distance.
Matthew Bretz and his team are well versed in the medical malpractice laws that can come into play in medical device defect cases. The firm also has experience with M. chimaera bacteria lawsuits involving heater-cooler devices, which are notoriously difficult to sterilize. If you or a loved one developed a serious bacterial infection after a heater-cooler device was used during cardiac surgery, contact Bretz Injury Law to find out whether you have grounds for a claim against the device manufacturer, the medical team involved, or both.
What Are the Most Common Injuries Caused by Defective Products?
What kind of injury did you suffer because of a defective product? The answer depends heavily on the product involved, and injuries can vary widely from one person to the next. Two people hurt by the same defective product can walk away with completely different injuries — that’s how unpredictable these defects can be.
Reach out to Bretz Injury Law if you suffered any of the following serious injuries due to a product defect:
- Permanent scarring
- Broken bone
- Third-degree burn
- Spine injury
- Head injury
- Electrical shock injury
- Severe laceration
- Cardiorespiratory damage or failure
- Cancer or other terminal illness
- Suffocation or choking injury
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Defective Product Case?
In most defective product cases, the manufacturer is the most likely party to be held responsible. At multiple points in the design and production process, there are opportunities to catch a potential problem and take corrective action to make the product safer. When a manufacturer fails to do that and someone gets hurt, they can be held accountable for the consequences.
That said, the company that sold the product directly to you could also be the liable party. It depends on how the retailer or vendor handled the product before it reached your hands. If a manufacturer requires a product to be stored in a cool, dry place but the vendor leaves it sitting in direct sunlight, for example, the vendor could be held responsible if the product turns out to be defective or unsafe by the time the consumer uses it.
Understanding the Three Categories of Product Defects
Products can be defective in three distinct ways:
- Design failure: When a product is built around an unsafe design, every unit made from that specification carries the same flaw. No version of that product can be considered safe, which is why a full recall is typically required.
- Manufacturing error: When a product is designed correctly but produced incorrectly, it becomes defective through a manufacturing error. These errors usually affect only specific lots or batches rather than the entire product line.
- Inadequate warnings: When a product fails to give consumers enough information to use it safely, it is considered defective due to inadequate warnings. Consumers can only protect themselves when they are fully informed about how a product works and what risks it carries. Prescription drugs that leave out known side effects are a common example of this type of defect.
Bretz Injury Law’s Winning Strategies for Product Liability Claims
Manufacturers have spent years successfully lobbying for greater legal protections against liability, and those efforts have paid off in courtrooms across the country. Bretz Injury Law works with a network of independent experts to thoroughly investigate your case and build the strongest possible argument in your favor, helping to level a playing field that can feel tilted against injured consumers. And because Matthew Bretz prepares every case as if it’s going to trial from day one, that same preparation gives his clients meaningful leverage at the negotiating table.
Injured by a Defective Product? Schedule Your Free Consultation Today
Contact the product liability attorneys at Bretz Injury Law to learn more about how we approach these cases and what your legal options look like after being hurt by a defective product. Matthew Bretz represents clients in cases throughout Kansas, Missouri, and beyond, bringing over 30 years of trial experience to every claim he takes on.
