Know Your Rights When You’ve Been Injured by a Defective Product in New Jersey

Protecting Your Physical and Financial Wellness After a Product-Related Injury

As a consumer, you expect the products you purchase to be safe and to not put you or your loved ones at risk of injury. Unfortunately, in the rush to be the first to market a new item, many companies cut corners and fail to conduct reasonable tests. Furthermore, to maximize profit, too many manufacturers use substandard materials or fail to put practices in place that promote the safety of the public.

When you or a loved one suffers needless injury because of a product that has been carelessly designed, manufactured, or marketed, you have the right to seek full and fair compensation for your losses. You need to know your rights when you’ve been injured by a defective product in New Jersey.

What Types of Product Liability Claims Are Generally Available?

Product liability claims are commonly based on legal allegations of negligence or carelessness, specifically with respect to:

• Design—Negligent design can make a product inherently dangerous. For example, a motor vehicle designed with an abnormally high center of gravity is more prone to rollovers on sharp turns.
• Manufacturing—The defective manufacture of a product can involve the use of substandard materials or improper fabrication or assembly, resulting in a product that presents an unreasonable risk of injury to users. For example, a tire may be manufactured using substandard rubber or other materials, making it more likely to puncture or lose air pressure.
• Marketing—Defecting marketing claims allege that the manufacturer failed to adequately warn users of a product’s known or anticipated dangers. Such claims typically involve a failure to include reasonable warnings in the packaging of the product. Claims may also allege inadequate instructions for use of the product or misleading advertising/promotions tied to the product. For example, a restaurant can be liable for failing to warn patrons that the extremely hot temperatures of food or beverages might cause serious burns.

The Concept of Strict Liability

Most product liability cases are governed by a legal principle known as strict liability. Under this concept, an injured person can prevail in a product liability claim without the need to prove that the defendant acted negligently or carelessly. An injured person can prevail simply by showing that they were injured while using the product for its intended purpose, or for some other reasonably foreseeable purpose.

Contact the Law Office of Howard D. Popper

At the Law Offices of Howard D. Popper, we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after you’ve been hurt due to a defective consumer product, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton.

We handle all personal injury claims, including product liability lawsuits, on a contingent fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.