The Baton Rouge, Louisiana personal injury attorneys at Murphy Law Firm handle cases involving defective products.  Below is some information that may be helpful to you if you have been injured due to a defective product.

Defective products harm millions of people each year. Manufacturers should be held responsible for design defects, improper safety devices and manufacturing defects. Cases involving defective products may include: defects in cars, equipment at work, toys, sport utility vehicle rollovers, gas tank explosions, seat belt failures, improperly designed household products, industrial machinery & equipment, farm equipment, products causing explosions and burns, and aviation products. It’s always important to save the defective product or have an attorney quickly investigate and preserve any remaining evidence.   The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA ) reports that 8,000 injuries and deaths each year are attributable to defective tires on vehicles.  The issue of tire defects was highlighted in 2000 by the recall of some 14 million Bridgestone and Firestone tires after the NHTSA established a link between the tires and hundreds of accidents involving the popular Ford Explorer.

The main categories for defective product cases are: Design defects, Manufacturing defects and Failure to Warn Consumers of the potential dangers and risks associated with the product.

• Defective Drugs
• Medical Devices
• Automobiles and Other Motor Vehicles

Medical Devices

Vagus Nerve Simulator:  Epilepsy affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide. This disorder is characterized by intermittent disturbances in the normal electrical functions of the brain, known as seizures.  A vagus nerve simulator (VNS) is a device that produces weak electrical signals to help prevent the electrical bursts in the brain to prevent seizures.  These products are being investigated in cases which resulted in death and other serious injuries. 

Defibrillators and Pacemakers:  Defibrillators are about the size of a pager that monitors your heart rate.  There have been certain manufacturer recalls for potential battery shorting mechanisms that may occur in defibrillators.  Devices have experienced rapid battery depletion due to this shorting action.  If shorting occurs, battery depletion can take place within a few hours to a few days, after which there is a loss of device function. 

Automobiles and Other Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicle defect claims may involve one or all of the following:  defects in the body, frame, brakes, braking system, cooling and temperature control system, electrical system, engine assembly, exhaust system, fuel system, lubrications system, passenger compartment, steering and suspension systems, transmission and drive train and other safety parts and accessories.  Motor defects may include:

Airbags- Defective airbags include those that don’t deploy in collisions, deploy with too much force, or deploy in minor collisions when not needed.

Sudden unintended acceleration- occurs when a vehicle uncontrollably accelerates when a vehicle is shifted into drive or reverse.

Tires- Poor tire shoulder design can lead to tread separation causing a serious accidents.

Rollovers- The high center of gravity and relatively narrow wheelbase of SUV’s increase their susceptibility to rollover.

Seatbelts- Some automatic shoulder belts are poorly designed and have been known to decapitate or otherwise seriously injure occupants when not used properly.  Some seatbelts may even separate from the base during an accident and provide no protection to the occupant.

See monthly motor vehicle recall reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In all matters of personal injury it's essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question and to file a lawsuit prior to the deadline imposed by the statue of limitations .  If the lawsuit isn't brought within the time limit that applies to the case, the right to sue and recover damages is forever lost.

Please do not hesitate to contact the personal injury attorneys at Murphy Law Firm or call us now at 225.928.8800 if you have suffered an injury due to a defective product.

Our Baton Rouge, Louisiana personal injury attorneys have one goal and one goal only; to make sure you were treated fairly after your accident and that you are satisfied with the results of Peyton Murphy and Scott Emonet.  We work on a contingency basis which means we do not get paid unless you get paid.  We handle cases dealing with personal injuries including but not limited to: auto accidents, 18 wheeler accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating accidents, offshore and maritime accidents, railroad accidents, medical malpractice, class action, defective drugs, defective products, chemical spill and toxic exposure, slip and fall, premises liability, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, asbestos exposure and mesothelioma, and hearing loss.   Our lawyers practice law in the greater Baton Rouge area and the surrounding areas including but not limited to: Baton Rouge, Gonzales, Denham Springs, Port Allen, Baker, Brusly, Walker, Zachary, Plaquemine, Prairieville, Dutch Town, and all the surrounding areas.