PRODUCT LIABILITY

Defective or dangerous products are the cause of thousands of injuries every year. Product liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable for placing a defective product into the hands of a consumer. Responsibility for a product defect that causes injury potentially lies with the manufacturer, a manufacturer of component parts, the wholesaler, and the retail store that sold to the consumer.

In general terms, defective products claims fall into three categories. Design defects occur when it can be shown that the intentional design of the product makes it unreasonably dangerous. A table designed with two legs, for example, might be considered to contain a defective design because it tips over too easily. Manufacturing defects exist when it can be demonstrated that the product does not conform to the designer's or manufacturer's own specifications. These cases can often be the easiest to prove, using the manufacturer's own design or marketing standards to show that the product was defective. Marketing defects include improper labeling of products, insufficient instructions, or the failure to warn consumers of a product's hidden dangers. A negligent or intentional misrepresentation regarding a product may also give rise to a product liability claim.

Product liability actions are often quite complex, and require the assistance and testimony of experts. At Briones, Harvey & Trevino, Homewood, Illinois, our record of results has earned us the reputation as leading south suburban Chicago product liability lawyers. We have settled and tried many cases resulting in significant damages for our clients injured by defective products, including recently settling a case against a drill press manufacturer and drill press reconditioner. Our client was a 21 year-old woman whose hair became entangled in the drill, resulting in a severe descalping injury. We sued the defendants, alleging lack of proper guarding and failure to warn. The case settled during trial for $1,280,000.00.

PREMISES LIABILITY

The term "premises liability" refers to a situation where an individual is injured on property owned or maintained by someone else. The property owner or party responsible for maintaining the property may be held legally responsible for that person's injuries if the injuries were the result of a dangerous condition that existed on the property.

Property owners and businesses have a duty to provide a safe environment for people on their property; if they fail to do so or fail to adequately post warnings and someone is injured as a result, they may be held liable for the injured person's medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.  A premises liability case might arise against owners of not only commercial property, but also private residences, vacant lots and many other types of properties.

Probably the most common type of premises liability situation is where someone trips or slips and falls due to some defect or hazard on another person's property. A classic example of this is where a shopper in a grocery store slips on a slippery or wet substance on the floor. If the grocery store knew or should have known about the substance and failed to clean it up or warn shoppers about it the store might be liable for its negligence.

At Briones, Harvey & Trevino, we successfully represent clients in premises liability cases of all size and type. In April 2004 we settled a slip and fall case for $600,000.00. Our client was shopping at a grocery store when she slipped on broken jars of baby food injuring her lower back requiring surgery. If you have been hurt in a slip and fall accident or injured by a dangerous or defective product, contact us immediately for experienced legal representation that you can trust to get you all the compensation that you deserve. We serve the communities of Country Club Hills, Hazel Crest, Chicago Heights, Matteson, Markham, South Holland, Harvey as well as Cook, Will, Kankakee, Lake and Du Page counties and the entire state of Illinois.