Ohio Liability Law: Who is Liable for Dangerous Products?
Liability law in Ohio allows people injured by a dangerous product to pursue legal action for their injuries. But determining who may be held liable for dangerous products and the damages they cause is not always simple.
Vehicles, appliances, tools, and other consumer products may cause injuries for a variety of reasons. Pursuing legal action against the correct parties ensures that your case proceeds as expeditiously as possible, while also protecting your rights and your claims. Holding all parties responsible also increases the likelihood that you will be able to collect the full and fair value of your claim.
Below are explanations of the most common defendants in claims involving dangerous products.
Liability Law: Manufacturers
When a manufacturer creates a product that is defective, either in design or in manufacture, then the manufacturer will typically be held liable for damages their product caused. Product liability cases most often involve lawsuits against manufacturers. Because greedy businesses continue to release unsafe and defective products, product liability lawsuits are the injured consumer’s primary avenue for justice.
Liability Law: Suppliers
In certain circumstances, a supplier of the product may be held liable in the Ohio courts, either in lieu of or alongside of the manufacturer. The Ohio Revised Code sets forth the many particular instances when a supplier may be subject to a product liability lawsuit. Some examples include when a manufacturer has become insolvent, when the supplier created or furnished the product design, and many other instances.
Knowing when to pursue a supplier in a product liability claim requires legal knowledge and analysis. That is why retaining an experienced product liability lawyer is recommended for all product related injuries.
Negligence Law: Third Party Maintenance and Assembly
In many cases of product injuries, the product in question was not defective but rather dangerous as the result of third party errors. Retailers and wholesalers frequently offer assembly and installation services. If these services are rendered negligently, the subject product may become unsafe.
Similarly, when third parties perform maintenance, such as on a motor vehicle or an appliance, failure to take reasonable care may actually make an otherwise safe product unsafe. When third parties negligently perform these duties for consumers, they may be held liable.
What to Do After a Product Related Injury
Because it can be difficult to know who is responsible when a dangerous product causes injuries, contact an attorney as soon as possible. In product related claims, preserving evidence, retaining experts, investigating the incident, and pursuing action against all responsible parties may be the only way for you to receive justice.
Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA – Ohio Product Liability Law Firm
If you or your loved one were injured by a dangerous or defective product, you do not have to fight the corporations responsible on your own. Call Lowe Scott Fisher now to discuss your legal claims.