A Pittsburgh product liability lawyer at Munley Law helps individuals and families hold corporations accountable when defective or dangerous products cause serious harm. For nearly 70 years, we have represented injury victims with a results-driven approach backed by national recognition and record-setting verdicts.
According to the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission, defective consumer products send over 12 million Americans to emergency rooms each year, often due to preventable design flaws, manufacturing errors, or missing safety warnings.
At Munley Law, our Pittsburgh attorneys have earned leadership roles in national trial lawyer organizations and have secured major client victories in complex product liability cases. We combine deep legal knowledge with the resources needed to take on powerful manufacturers and insurers.
If a dangerous product caused your injury, our Pittsburgh product liability lawyers are prepared to investigate, build your case, and pursue full compensation while you focus on recovery. Contact us for a free consultation today.
Call Us At 844-686-5397 What Are the Common Types of Defective Products in Product Liability Cases?
Some products we often see in product liability cases include:
- Food and beverages
- Motor vehicle parts and safety devices
- Children’s toys and furniture
- Medical devices
- Medications, both prescription and over-the-counter
- Cosmetics
- Appliances
- Cleaning products and chemicals
- Gardening tools and chemicals, such as pesticides
These are all products frequently purchased and used by the majority of the population. Any defective or dangerous product has the potential to harm vulnerable people. If you have been injured by one of these defective products, you may not be alone.
What Injuries Are Caused By Defective Products?
Injuries suffered from defective products can include:
- Organ damage or failure, often from defective medications or medical devices
- Choking from small toy parts
- Electrocution and severe burns from appliances with faulty wiring
- Broken bones, lacerations, or dislocated joints due to a fault in a seat belt or other safety device
- Traumatic brain injuries from defective motor vehicles, helmets, or falls from ladders
Some injuries can require long-term care and rehabilitation. In some cases, a faulty product can lead to a loved one’s death.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Defective Product in Pittsburgh, PA?
Companies are responsible for protecting consumers. Releasing a defective product is a failure to provide that duty of care, making that company negligent. However, multiple people and groups in the production chain can be held legally responsible for a defective product causing an injury.
Parties that you may be able to hold responsible in a product liability case include:
- Designers
- Manufacturers
- Third-party suppliers
Importantly, even sellers, retailers, and other distributors can be held liable if they sell a dangerous product. While suppliers are not directly involved in the creation of a product, they still have a legal responsibility to sell safe products to their customers.
How Can You Tell If a Product is Defective or Unsafe?
If you have been injured by a product, your first instinct may be to blame yourself. There is an assumption that products will always work as intended, and anything to the contrary must be from user error.
A product can be considered defective if it is:
- Unfit for intended use
- Lacking proper use instructions
- Lacking adequate warning labels
- Otherwise includes an inherently dangerous flaw
If a product that injured you fell under one of these categories, you may have a case for a product liability claim. It is important to reach out right away to an injury attorney with experience in defective product cases.
What is Pennsylvania’s Product Liability Law?
Pennsylvania recognizes three types of product liability claims, as determined by how the product came to be defective. Each of these claims will involve different defendants and require specific legal knowledge from your product liability attorney.
Design Defects
At the very start of the production chain, designers or engineers may commit to an inherent design defect. A company may fail to adequately test a new product before approving it for production, or a test may fail to uncover a specific flaw in the design. This can lead to a line of products carrying a dangerous defect, potentially affecting hundreds or thousands of consumers.
Tests for design defects can vary widely in different states. In Pennsylvania, a plaintiff can utilize either the Consumer Expectation or Risk-Utility test to demonstrate a defect.
- Consumer Expectation Test – Proving the product was dangerous beyond normal consumer expectation during regular, foreseeable use, considering factors such as intended use or intended users
- Risk-Utility Test – Proving a reasonable consumer would decide that the risk of harm caused by the product would outweigh the trouble of taking proper precautions to prevent that harm
Both of these tests are best completed and demonstrated by an expert.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing and factory defects are relatively straightforward. In this case, the creators of the product committed negligence in some fashion. An error on the factory floor can lead to a defect for one specific product in a line. Alternatively, contamination in a facility handling food can infect an entire line of products for some time before it is discovered.
Pennsylvania considers manufacturing defects under strict liability law. Strict liability means the manufacturer does not need to know of the defect or intend to cause harm to be held liable. Manufacturers are legally required to provide a duty of care at all times, and they can be held legally responsible even if they are unaware of a defect.
Marketing, or Failure to Warn
Manufacturers, marketers, and sales personnel may fail to provide appropriate usage instructions for a product. They may also fail to fully disclose potential risks. Product creators are required to warn consumers about the potential dangers of a product, so long as these risks are not immediately obvious.
Failure to warn commonly occurs with food, beverage, and medical products that do not list all ingredients or side effects. It can also occur in cases where cleaning products fail to warn consumers against use in certain settings or alongside other chemicals.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Product Liability Claims in Pittsburgh?
Pennsylvania law provides a statute of limitations of two years for product liability claims. As a consumer, you have two years after the date your injury occurs to file your claim against the negligent party, or else you lose the ability to recover compensation.
Exceptions to Pennsylvania’s product liability statute of limitations include:
- If, after using a product for years without an adequate warning label, you discovered it caused a past injury, you might still have a case under the discovery rule
- Injured minors have until their 20th birthday to file a product liability claim
Even within the time limit of the statute of limitations, it is important to act quickly. Working alongside a legal team can help you preserve vital evidence to support your case.
How Can an Attorney Help You With Your Product Liability Claim?
Product liability claims are difficult to pursue without the guidance of an experienced product attorney. You may not have access to the resources you need to fully investigate your claim. Without the evidence needed to support your claim that your injury was caused by a defective product, you will face an uphill battle in securing the compensation you need.
A skilled and experienced attorney in product liability claims can:
- Notify all parties involved in the case, including designers, manufacturers, distributors, and sellers
- Collect internal company documents
- Gather evidence from any past injured victims
- Obtain video, photo, or eyewitness statements regarding the incident
- Work with expert engineers and other professionals to provide additional evidence
- Calculate total losses alongside financial, medical, and economic experts
- Speak and negotiate with each involved party to agree upon a settlement
- If necessary, prepare the case for trial
An investigation can be both time-consuming and expensive, taking away the resources you need at this time to rest and recover. Our injury law firm can investigate and pursue your case on your behalf, utilizing our full resources.
Why Should You Contact a Pittsburgh Product Liability Lawyer at Munley Law?
If you’ve been injured by a defective product, going up against a manufacturer, insurer, or global corporation can feel overwhelming. At Munley Law, we bring nearly seven decades of experience to product liability litigation, combining compassionate client care with the resources and skills needed to take on complex, high-stakes cases.
Our firm has earned national recognition for trial excellence, with attorneys consistently selected to Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America, and with leadership roles in organizations such as the American Association for Justice.
We have secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements in cases involving dangerous medical devices, defective automotive components, unsafe pharmaceuticals, and hazardous household products. Whether the issue stems from a design flaw, manufacturing error, or failure to warn, we know how to uncover the truth and hold the right parties accountable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Product Liability Claims in Pittsburgh
What Should I Do Immediately After Being Injured by a Defective Product in Pittsburgh?
Seek medical attention right away, even if your injuries seem minor at first. Preserve the product, packaging, and any instructions or receipts, as these may serve as critical evidence. Avoid altering or repairing the product, as insurers might say the defect arose from your alterations. Contact a product liability lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights and begin an investigation.
Do I Need Proof That the Company Knew the Product Was Dangerous?
Not necessarily. Under Pennsylvania’s strict liability laws, you typically do not need to prove the manufacturer knew about the defect. Instead, you must show that the product was defective and caused your injury. This legal standard makes it easier for injured consumers to pursue compensation.
Can I File a Claim If I Misused the Product?
Possibly. If the misuse was reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer, you may still have a valid claim. Courts often examine whether the product should have included warnings or safeguards to prevent such use. An attorney can evaluate how this applies to your case.
What Compensation Is Available in a Product Liability Case?
You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and future care needs. Non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life may also be available. In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded if the company’s conduct was especially reckless.
Can Multiple Companies Be Sued for the Same Defective Product?
Yes. Product liability cases often involve several parties, including manufacturers, designers, distributors, and retailers. Each may share the responsibility depending on their role in the product’s lifecycle. Identifying all liable parties is key to maximizing compensation.
What If the Defective Product Was Recalled?
A recall can strengthen your claim, but it is not required to file a lawsuit. Many dangerous products are never formally recalled. However, if a recall exists, it may serve as strong evidence that the product was unsafe.
Contact Our Pittsburgh Product Liability Lawyers
When you choose Munley Law, you’re choosing a firm with a proven track record, national accolades, and a deep commitment to justice.
Contact our Pittsburgh product liability lawyers today for a free consultation. There are no upfront fees, and you pay nothing unless we win your case. Let us fight for the compensation you deserve.
Daniel W. Munley
Daniel W. Munley is a preeminent product liability lawyer and champion of consumer rights who has helped to recover millions for consumers injured by defective products. In 2020, he was named by Best Lawyers as “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation-Plaintiffs. Alongside this, he has been in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide annually since 2020. Daniel is triple board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and was named as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania by the National Trial Lawyers Association.
