SEATTLE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT LIABILITY ATTORNEYS

As Seattle defective product attorneys, we help people who have been injured by defectively designed or manufactured products. Consumers of products manufactured or sold in Washington State should be able to trust that the manufacturer of those products has designed and made them in such a way that they will be safe when the consumer purchases and uses those products. If a manufacturer makes and sells a dangerous or defective product, that manufacturer can be held responsible for the injuries and damages suffered by a user of the product. If you have been hurt by a product, you may be entitled to recover damages from the manufacturer, distributor, seller and/or installer of the product. Likewise, if the product, such as a car, or other device, was recently repaired, that repair may have been done negligently leading to liability for your damages.

Defective product cases generally fit into at least one of the following categories:

1. Defective Design – Sometimes the design of a product itself is defective and liability arises out of an error in that product’s design. As a result, the product is dangerous when used as directed or for another acceptable purpose. For example, a number of products were designed to use asbestos and many people who used those products were terribly injured as a result of their exposure to that asbestos. In this case, the product’s design itself was unsafe. Many of us also remember the defectively-designed Ford Pinto that had a gas tank exposed to rear-end collisions. Other examples of defectively-designed products include:

• Tires that blow out;
• Lawnmowers that have no protection from shooting rocks out of the side;
• Nail guns that fire without being depressed on wood;
• Circular saws with no guards;
• Baking pans that collapse under the weight of a turkey;
• SUVs that have too high of a center of gravity;
• Helmets made out of plastic; and
• Defective medical products, implants and drugs.

1. Defective Manufacturing  – Sometimes products are dangerous to consumers based on an error in the manufacturing process. These are products that may have been designed in such a manner that, if manufactured correctly, would have been safe products, but a blunder in the manufacturing process itself rendered the product unsafe when used as directed or for another acceptable purpose.This often happens with food products that are not processed properly and cause the spread of disease, or introduce foreign particles such as glass. Other examples of defectively-manufactured products include:

• Tires that are made with defective rubber that blow out and cause wrongful death and injury;
• Cars that are not assembled properly that crash when wheels fall off or engines blow up;
• Planes that are built improperly and crash.

1. Defective Marketing – If a product is marketed in a way that fails to adequately warn a consumer about a known risk of using the product or fails to give consumers adequate instructions about the product’s use, the manufacturer can be held responsible if a consumer of that product is injured when using it. Some examples of defectively-marketed products include:

• an electric tea kettle that is packaged without sufficient warning concerning its oddly positioned steam valve;
• a cough syrup that does not include on its label a warning that it may cause dangerous side effects if taken in combination with another commonly taken drug such as aspirin; or
• a corrosive paint-removing chemical that is sold without adequate instructions for safe handling and use.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers put profits ahead of people and take short-cuts in their design or manufacturing process, they do not adequately test their products for safety and/or they distribute their products without giving consumers the information the consumer needs to safely use that product.

We Can Help

Dixon Law Firm uses experts to investigate the cause of a product failure. We retain metallurgists, mechanics, draftsmen, machinists, accident reconstructionists, physicists, scientists, chemists, doctors, designers, electricians, safety engineers and other experts to review these cases to identify what, if anything, about the product was defective. IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED BY A PRODUCT, SAVE WHAT REMAINS OF THE PRODUCT AND ANY PACKAGING THAT CAME WITH THE PRODUCT IF YOU CAN. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU DO NOT DISCARD OR DESTROY THE PRODUCT AS THAT IS EVIDENCE CRITICAL TO EVALUATE YOUR CASE.

At Dixon Law Firm, our lawyers are dedicated to helping families recover full compensation after being injured by a defective or unsafe product. All of our legal services are handled on a contingency fee basis. Fees are not charged for the initial consultation or subsequent work unless we recover money for your injuries or loss. In the event we are unable to recover any damages in your case, you will not be charged for our time. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective or unsafe product, or you simply need more information, please call us at (206) 330-0212.

Settlement Reached After Hotel Shower Burns Client

Our client was visiting the Seattle area on business, staying at an upscale nationally recognized hotel chain, when he was seriously injured by a defective shower that failed to properly control the water temperature. The defect led to our client’s body being sprayed with scalding-hot water; as a result, he suffered painful second degree burns on his chest, stomach, and arms. He was rushed to the emergency room of a local hospital for treatment. The client sought our assistance when the hotel refused to pay his medical bills and denied that the water was too hot; he needed to pay for the medical bills himself. After retaining our services, we consulted with an expert and were able to convince the hotel to compensate our client for his second-degree burns and medical expenses without filing a lawsuit.