When you buy a product, you expect it to be reasonably safe when used as intended. If you were injured by a defective product, a Joliet personal injury lawyer can help you pursue damages.
Postman Law has represented more than 1.4 million clients. A product liability lawyer in Joliet can help you obtain the compensation you deserve after you’ve been harmed by a dangerous or faulty product,
The Role of a Joliet Product Liability Lawyer
Product liability claims can get complicated fast. A Joliet product liability lawyer can help with your case by:
- Investigating the incident: An attorney can determine why the product failed and who is liable.
- Preserving evidence: A lawyer can help ensure the product itself, receipts, packaging, photographs, and other evidence are properly preserved.
- Calculating damages: An attorney can calculate both your economic and non-economic damages and determine the value of your injury claim.
- Negotiating with insurers: Insurance companies often attempt to minimize product liability payouts. A lawyer can negotiate on your behalf and push for fair compensation.
- Preparing for litigation: If negotiations are unsuccessful, an attorney can file a lawsuit and present your case in court.
For a free legal consultation with a product liability lawyer serving Joliet, call 844-767-8626
What Types of Compensation Are Available?
You can recover compensation for both economic and non-economic damages in a product liability case. Potential types of compensation include:
- Medical expenses: You can recover the cost of emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, medications, and future medical care.
- Lost wages: You can recover income you lost during your recovery.
- Reduced earning capacity: You can recover additional compensation if your injuries permanently impact your ability to earn a living.
- Pain and suffering: You can recover damages for the physical pain and emotional distress caused by the accident.
- Permanent disability: You can recover compensation for lasting impairments that affect your daily life.
- Disfigurement: You can recover damages for permanent scarring or other visible injuries.
- Property damage: You can recover the cost of repairing or replacing damaged personal property.
- Wrongful death damages: If the accident proves fatal, you and your family can seek compensation through a wrongful death suit.
- Punitive damages: In cases involving particularly egregious conduct from the at-fault party, you may recover punitive damages.
Joliet Product Liability Lawyer Near Me 844-767-8626
How Long Do You Have to File a Product Liability Claim in Illinois?
When it comes to product liability claims in Illinois, you typically have two years from the date you suffered the injury (or reasonably should have discovered it) to file a personal injury lawsuit. In addition, you generally have five years from the date your property was damaged (or when you reasonably should’ve discovered the damage) to file a property damage lawsuit.
Illinois also enforces a statute of repose that bars claims filed more than 10 years after the product was first sold or 12 years from its manufacturing date (whichever comes first).
Certain exceptions may apply depending on the specifics of your case. If you don’t file before the applicable statute of limitations expires, you may forfeit the right to pursue damages, which is why you should consult a product liability attorney in Joliet as soon as you can.
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Who Is Liable for a Defective Product?
Multiple parties may share responsibility for a defective product. Potentially liable parties in your case include:
- Product manufacturers
- Component manufacturers
- Product designers
- Assembly companies
- Importers
- Distributors
- Wholesalers
- Retail stores
- Online sellers (in certain situations)
How Do You Prove Liability?
To recover compensation for a defective product, you typically must prove that:
- The product contained a defect.
- The defect existed when the product left the defendant’s control.
- You used the product in a reasonably foreseeable manner.
- The defect directly caused your injuries.
- You suffered measurable damages.
Useful types of evidence may include medical records, expert testimony, engineering reports, purchase receipts, product recalls, manufacturing records, and witness statements.
Common Types of Product Defects
Most product liability claims involve one of three types of defects:
- Design defects: These defects exist before a product is manufactured because the product’s design is inherently unsafe. Examples include vehicles with rollover risks, unstable furniture, or power tools that lack adequate safety features.
- Manufacturing defects: These defects occur during the production or assembly process. Examples include contaminated medications, cracked components, faulty electrical wiring, or improperly assembled machinery.
- Marketing defects (failure to warn): These defects involve inadequate instructions, warning labels, or safety information. Examples include missing dosage instructions, incomplete safety warnings, or inadequate installation guidance.
Common Injuries Caused by Defective Products
Dangerous products can cause both minor and severe injuries, such as:
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Amputations
- Eye injuries
- Electrocution injuries
- Poisoning
- Severe allergic reactions
What to Do After a Product Injury in Joliet
The steps you take after being harmed by a faulty product can make or break your injury claim. You should:
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- Keep the defective product (if possible).
- Take photographs of both the product and your injuries.
- Save all packaging, manuals, receipts, and warning labels.
- Write down how the incident occurred.
- Avoid repairing or altering the product.
- Keep copies of your medical records and bills.
- Track your missed work and lost income.
- Save all correspondence with manufacturers or insurance companies.
- Consult an attorney before accepting a settlement offer.
Talk to a Product Liability Attorney in Joliet
If you have been harmed by an unsafe product, you have the right to take legal action. A Joliet product liability attorney from Postman Law can investigate your case, collect supporting evidence, and help you secure compensation for your injuries and other losses.
Schedule a free case review to discuss your situation with a lawyer.