If you’ve been injured by a dangerous or defective product, product liability law allows you to pursue compensation for your injuries. This area of law holds accountable any party involved in the design, manufacturing, distribution, or sale of the product. However, product liability claims are often complex and vigorously defended by corporations with significant legal and financial resources. That’s why it’s important to work with an experienced San Bernardino County product liability lawyer who can evaluate your case and guide you through the legal process.

What Is Product Liability?

Product liability refers to the legal responsibility of manufacturers and sellers for placing defective or dangerous products into the hands of consumers. California law allows injured individuals to pursue claims under strict liability, negligence, or breach of warranty theories, depending on the circumstances.

Common Examples of Defective Products

Nearly any consumer item has the potential to be defective. Whether it’s something you consume, use in your household, or rely on for medical care, a flaw can cause significant injury or illness. Common types of defective products include:

• Motor vehicles and auto parts
• Household appliances
• Food and beverages
• Prescription or over-the-counter medications
• Children’s toys
• Medical devices and implants

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Product Liability Case?

One of the key features of product liability law is that you do not need to pinpoint exactly where the defect occurred in the chain of commerce. Under California’s consumer-friendly laws, you may hold any party in the product’s distribution chain legally responsible for your injuries. This includes:

• Manufacturers
• Wholesalers
• Distributors
• Retailers
• Dealers

While manufacturers are often the primary defendants in these cases, liability can extend to other parties. California follows a rule of strict liability, meaning that a plaintiff does not need to prove negligence—only that the product was defective and caused harm when used as intended.

How Do You Prove That a Product Is Defective?

To succeed in a product liability case, you must typically demonstrate that the product had one of the following defects:

• Design Defect: The product’s design is inherently dangerous, even if manufactured correctly. For example, an SUV with a high center of gravity may be prone to rollovers.
• Manufacturing Defect: The product was safely designed but became dangerous due to an error in the production process, such as contamination in a batch of medication.
• Marketing Defect (Failure to Warn): The manufacturer failed to adequately warn users about known risks or failed to provide sufficient instructions for safe use, such as omitting serious side effects from a drug label.

In some cases, you may also bring claims for negligence or breach of express or implied warranties.

What Evidence Is Needed to Support a Product Liability Claim?

These cases often hinge on technical and scientific evidence. Your lawyer will work with expert witnesses to examine the product and offer opinions on whether a defect exists and how it caused your injury. The litigation process may involve:

• Product testing and analysis.
• Internal documents from the manufacturer, obtained through discovery.
• Communications or studies showing the company’s knowledge of the risk.
• Expert testimony on engineering, safety standards, and causation.

Product liability cases often become a battle of experts, with each side presenting competing evidence.

What Is the Legal Process for a Product Liability Lawsuit?

Most product liability claims are filed individually, not as class actions, because each plaintiff’s injuries and damages are different. However, if many individuals are harmed by the same product, your case may be consolidated into multi-district litigation (MDL). This allows for coordinated pretrial proceedings while still preserving individual trials.

Your attorney will determine whether your case should be filed in state or federal court based on the facts of your case and the parties involved.

What Compensation Can I Recover in a San Bernardino County Product Liability Case?

If you win your case or reach a settlement, you may be entitled to compensation for:

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost income and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Scarring and disfigurement

In fatal cases, families may also pursue a wrongful death claim to recover for funeral expenses, lost financial support, and loss of companionship.

In rare but extreme cases of corporate misconduct, California juries may also award punitive damages. These are intended to punish the company for willful disregard of safety, such as knowingly concealing risks or falsifying safety data.

What Defenses Might a Manufacturer Raise?

Even if a product was defective, companies often mount aggressive defenses, such as:

• The product was not unreasonably dangerous.
• The product was misused or altered after purchase.
• The plaintiff did not use the product as intended.
• The plaintiff’s own negligence caused or contributed to the injury.
• An unrelated, intervening event caused the harm.

An experienced lawyer can help you prepare for and counter these defenses with strong evidence and expert analysis.

Contact the San Bernardino County Product Liability Lawyers at Lerner, Moore, Silva, Cunningham & Rubel

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous or defective product, contact the San Bernardino County product liability lawyers at Lerner, Moore, Silva, Cunningham & Rubel (LMSCR). We are committed to holding negligent companies accountable and fighting for the compensation our clients deserve. Call us today at 909-889-1131 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Ontario and Victorville, California, we serve clients in San Bernardino County, Ontario, Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Colton, and Riverside County.