If a defective product causes an injury, illness or death, an impacted victim has the right to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer or distributor of the item. A product liability lawsuit can be based on a legal theory such as strict liability, breach of warranty or negligence. Three types of product defects can be claimed in a product liability lawsuit. Identifying the type of defect involved in your case can help you understand whether you have a valid claim.
Design Defect
A design defect means that something is wrong with the original design of the product that makes it unreasonably dangerous for consumers to use. There is a flaw in how the item was planned or intended that creates a heightened risk of injury or illness. Even if the item is manufactured and marketed correctly, a design defect can lead to a dangerous product that causes serious consumer injuries. An example of a design defect is an SUV that is designed with a center of gravity that is too high, increasing the risk of a rollover accident.
Manufacturing Error
A manufacturing error refers to any issue or mistake that occurs during the production, creation or assembly of an item. It can describe incidents such as a piece of machinery breaking and leaving pieces of metal in a product or an assembly worker mistakenly adding the wrong ingredient to an edible product. Manufacturing mistakes can lead to many dangerous defects. An example is a batch of cough medicine that gets contaminated with a dangerous chemical during production.
Marketing Mistake
The third type of product defect is a marketing mistake. This can refer to any error with the item’s packaging, labeling, directions, warnings, marketing or advertising that increases the risk of consumer injury. It is a manufacturing company's legal responsibility to warn consumers of any risks that might not be obvious in association with using a product. If a company fails to properly package or market an item, and this leads to an injury or death, the company can be held liable. An example of a marketing mistake is a child’s toy that has small parts that aren’t safe for infants, but that doesn’t list an appropriate age range on the packaging.
What Is Strict Product Liability?
In a strict product liability lawsuit, a manufacturing company can be held liable for a consumer’s injury or death even without proof of negligence. As long as the plaintiff can show that the product contained one of the three potential defects and that the product caused the injury in question, the manufacturing company will be held financially and legally responsible. The strict liability doctrine exists to protect consumers from having to prove negligence when going up against large and powerful product manufacturers.
Do You Have a Case?
If you or your attorney cannot establish a product liability claim based on the theory of strict liability, there may be other grounds available. You may be able to file a lawsuit on the more traditional grounds of negligence, for example, if you have proof that the defendant acted without reasonable care and that this led to a defective product. You may also be able to file a claim based on a breach of warranty. This means that the manufacturing company made a promise to consumers – such as a safety guarantee – and broke this promise.
If you or a loved one was recently injured because of a defective or dangerous product in Dallas, Texas, contact an attorney from The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, P.C. for a free legal consultation. We can carefully review the details of your accident to determine if you have grounds for a product liability case. If so, we can help you go up against one or more parties in pursuit of justice and fair financial compensation.
ABOUT THE ATTORNEY
Aaron A. Herbert
Founding Attorney
Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law
Aaron founded The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert in 2010 to focus on developing each client's case and seeking its maximum value. For over a decade, he has represented people seriously injured in major accidents and industrial catastrophes, pursuing trial verdicts and settlements while working to reduce the stress of litigation.
Education
- Texas A&M University · B.S., Criminal Justice, 1999
- University of Oklahoma College of Law · J.D., 2002; graduated in the top of his class
Trial experience & approach
Aaron earned numerous jury verdicts at boutique personal injury litigation firms. According to his biography, he spent a year as the top-earning litigation attorney at a firm that frequently appeared in verdict searches as having one of the highest numbers of trial wins in Texas. At another Dallas personal injury firm, he moved from managing pre-litigation attorney to managing litigation attorney over seven years as the firm grew into one of Dallas's largest personal injury firms.
His biography describes a reputation as one of America's most aggressive trial lawyers, with noteworthy recoveries from judges and juries and substantial pretrial settlements. Most of those settlements included confidentiality agreements requested by the defense. Aaron has said the recoveries were justified by the injuries and losses involved, which no amount of money could make someone choose to experience.
His approach combines passion, preparation, persistence and courtroom imagination. He believes a well-supported, engaged and motivated team working cooperatively helps deliver strong representation, with the goal of achieving the best possible result for every client.
Dallas roots, military service & publication
Born and raised in Dallas, Aaron enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and later received an Honorable Discharge. He completed his university and law degrees after his military service and became a lifelong Sooners football fan in law school.
Publication: “Litigating Dog Bite Cases,” Texas Dog Law Seminar, Dallas, 2009.
Professional affiliations & recognition
Professional affiliations and recognition listed in Aaron’s biography:
- State Bar of Texas
- American Bar Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now American Association for Justice)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Trial experience & approach
Aaron earned numerous jury verdicts at boutique personal injury litigation firms. According to his biography, he spent a year as the top-earning litigation attorney at a firm that frequently appeared in verdict searches as having one of the highest numbers of trial wins in Texas. At another Dallas personal injury firm, he moved from managing pre-litigation attorney to managing litigation attorney over seven years as the firm grew into one of Dallas's largest personal injury firms.
His biography describes a reputation as one of America's most aggressive trial lawyers, with noteworthy recoveries from judges and juries and substantial pretrial settlements. Most of those settlements included confidentiality agreements requested by the defense. Aaron has said the recoveries were justified by the injuries and losses involved, which no amount of money could make someone choose to experience.
His approach combines passion, preparation, persistence and courtroom imagination. He believes a well-supported, engaged and motivated team working cooperatively helps deliver strong representation, with the goal of achieving the best possible result for every client.
Dallas roots, military service & publication
Born and raised in Dallas, Aaron enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and later received an Honorable Discharge. He completed his university and law degrees after his military service and became a lifelong Sooners football fan in law school.
Publication: “Litigating Dog Bite Cases,” Texas Dog Law Seminar, Dallas, 2009.
Professional affiliations & recognition
Professional affiliations and recognition listed in Aaron’s biography:
- State Bar of Texas
- American Bar Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now American Association for Justice)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Trial Lawyers