products liability Archives | Los Angeles Personal Injury Law Blog

I have been harmed because of a defect with my automobile. Can I make a claim against the manufacturer?

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Yes, you may be able to make a claim against the manufacturer if you have been harmed because of a defect with your automobile. Unfortunately, automobile companies often cut corners on safety in order to increase their profitability. In many cases, those risks that they choose to take affect the lives of their customers.

If you have been involved in an automobile accident and you suspect the accident was caused by a problem with your vehicle, you must be able to prove that the cause of the accident was the result of the manufacturer’s negligence. You may be able to show this by proving there was a poor design or that the materials were of low quality. Some common examples of defects in automobiles which can cause harm include defective tires, brakes, airbags, and fuel systems.

Being involved in a serious accident can impact the accident victim’s life for a long period of time, regardless of how serious the accident was. Medical expenses may be high, and the victims may be unable to work while they are recovering. Some people do not recover and could require lifelong medical care. When an accident was caused by the negligence of an automobile company, that company must be held accountable and should pay compensation to those who are injured. Many automobile recalls occur only if an automobile manufacturer decides it is financially feasible to issue a recall.

If you have been harmed in an automobile accident because of the negligence of an automobile manufacturer, call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles product liability attorney at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call us today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

Can I sue if I have been harmed by a defective ladder?

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Yes, you may be able to sue if you have been harmed in a ladder accident that involves a defective ladder. However, most ladder accidents are not caused by defective ladders, but instead because the ladder was improperly used. In order to recover, you must be able to prove either that the ladder was defective, or that another party was responsible for your accident.

Studies have shown that most ladder accidents occur in the home instead of at work. One big reason is that many ladder users do not know how to use it safely. Fortunately, most people who are injured in the home because of ladder accidents are able to walk away with only minor injuries. Only about 10 percent of ladder accidents are serious enough to require hospitalization. The most common injuries involving ladders are broken bones in the feet, hands, and wrists, or other broken bones.

It’s important that you speak with an attorney if you believe that your accident was caused by a defective ladder, rather than being improperly used. Some cheaper ladders are made of inferior materials or are poorly designed. They may have a defect with the ladder extension that can cause it to slip.

Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles personal injury attorney if you have suffered injuries because of a ladder defect. Normally, an investigation will be performed to help determine the exact causes of the problem with the ladder. If you are successful, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Call today at 310-385-0567. We can help.

I was harmed on a defective ladder. Can I sue the ladder’s manufacturer?

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It depends on the situation, but typically if a product causes bodily harm, whoever has been injured can receive compensation for medical treatment and other expenses. If you have been injured because of a defective ladder, you should speak with an attorney who can help advise you on your legal rights.

Surprisingly, the vast majority of ladder accidents occur at home, not at work. Typically ladder accidents are caused by a failure to use the ladder safely, although some ladder accidents occur due to defects in the ladder itself. Although ladders are used in many workplaces on a daily basis, the accident rate at work is low because typically construction workers and others who use ladders at work are experienced and know how to safely use the ladder.

Some of the most common causes of ladder accidents include using the wrong type, the ladder collapsing, the ladder tipping or falling over, or a failure of the ladder extension. Fortunately, most ladder accidents are not serious and the victims can usually walk away with only minor bruises. Only one in ten ladder accidents require hospitalization. If serious injuries do occur, the most common injuries are broken bones.

If you have been injured in a ladder accident that you believe was due to a problem with the ladder itself, call me, Conal Doyle, California personal injury attorney at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call us today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

Response to product risk: wide variance among companies

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If company “A” issues far more safety recalls than company “B,” a business rival of comparable size that has a similar line of products, isn’t the former entity automatically more of a concern to consumers and safety regulators?

Perhaps — but maybe not.

Indeed, company “A” might be a relative outlier in its industry, marked by a problematic safety record and a demonstrated lack of concern for consistently stringent safety measures that protect consumers against defective products.

Conversely, though, might it not be the case that consumers in Southern California and elsewhere who buy that company’s products are well served by a corporate board that opts to act quickly when it perceives a safety problem?

Put another way: It might just be company “B” that poses the greater public risk, owing to a business strategy of holding back on recalls until a clear pattern of risk and consumer harm has been established.

What can be gleaned from recall notices, states a recent CBS News article, “may say more about a company’s safety philosophy than just how many recalls they’ve undertaken.”

The above-cited article notes, for example, one national company with 24 recalls over a specified period, with another company having 19 recalls over that same time frame. The recalls issued by the former company occurred after its knowledge of 30 injuries reportedly associated with its products. In the case of the latter company, the fewer number of recalls it issued were preceded by 130 injuries.

It’s clearly not just how often a company issues a recall that must be considered in any assessment of its safety philosophy and record. Obviously, it is also key to note how quickly it acts — how “proactive” it is, as the CBS article notes — when it perceives in its own discretion and without waiting for injury reports to pile up that a problem exists and that action must be taken.

Consumers might want to keep that in mind when they hear recall-related news and are making judgments about a particular company’s ethics and sense of responsibility to the public.