Product Liability Lawyers

Product Liability claims in Pennsylvania

When a defective product injures someone, the manufacturer, distributor and seller may all be responsible, depending on where the defect arose.

The single most important step is to keep the product itself, together with its packaging, manual and receipt. It is the central piece of evidence, and once it is discarded the case becomes far harder.

Why families bring these cases to Munley Law

Munley Law has represented injured people and their families from its Scranton base since 1959. The attorneys listed below handle this type of case, and the results shown are published matters the firm has reported.

Daniel W. MunleyAttorneyJack CartwrightAttorneyMatthew CartwrightOf Counsel

“She and everyone I came into contact with in her firm handled my case with the utmost professionalism, as well as true empathy for my situation, while not missing a detail about the facts of the case… She is a great person and an awesome attorney! She will fight for you!”

Types of defect

Design defects

A design defect exists when the product is unreasonably dangerous as designed, so every unit carries the same risk even when manufacturing went exactly to plan.

These claims usually examine whether a safer, practical alternative design was available when the product was sold.

Manufacturing defects

A manufacturing defect affects a particular unit or batch that left the line differently from the approved design — a weak weld, a contaminated material, a missing fastener.

Production records, quality-control documents and inspection of the product itself are central to these claims.

Failure to warn

A product can be defective because its labels, manuals or warnings did not adequately communicate a known risk or explain safe use.

What was supplied with the product, and what the maker knew about earlier incidents, are both examined.

Injuries frequently seen in these cases

• Burns from batteries, heaters and appliances
• Amputation and crush injuries from machinery
• Head and spinal injuries from vehicle and equipment failures
• Poisoning and chemical exposure
• Fatal injuries

Who may be responsible

Responsibility depends entirely on the facts, and no one can determine it from a web page. These are the parties whose conduct is typically examined.

Evidence in a product case

• The product itself, stored unaltered
• Packaging, labels, manuals and warnings supplied with it
• Purchase records and model or lot numbers
• Recall notices, service bulletins and prior complaint history
• Expert inspection before any disassembly

Damages that may be recoverable

What a claim may include depends on the injuries, the available insurance and the evidence. Nothing here is a prediction of value.

• Medical treatment already received, from the emergency room through rehabilitation
• Future medical care and therapy a physician expects will be needed
• Wages lost while unable to work, and reduced earning capacity in longer-term cases
• Property damage, out-of-pocket costs and travel to treatment
• Pain, suffering and loss of life's pleasures where the law allows it

Steps that protect a claim

• Keep the product, packaging, manual and receipt — do not return or repair it
• Photograph the product and the scene before anything is moved
• Note the model and serial numbers and where it was purchased
• Save any recall notices or prior complaints you find
• Get medical treatment and keep every record

Frequently asked questions

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