Liability Lawyers Help Protect Consumers

In my experience, the general public has no idea how much the legal profession contributes to their safety, including as users and consumers of products. Of course they all see and respect the work of the Prosecutors who put criminals behind bars, but I suspect that in the eyes of many people, that positive is at least partially offset by the defense lawyers whose job is to try keep accused suspects out of prison. Criminal cases aside, there are teams of dedicated lawyers out there who are fighting protracted battles in courtrooms every day in an effort to hold various companies and organizations responsible for the safety of the products they are selling. These liability cases can be extremely difficult and drawn out, with the resources of large companies stacked against the legal teams who are trying to hold them accountable for incidents that may have taken place across the country and over an extended period of time.

A Product Liability case can be extremely complex, requiring the undertaking of exhaustive investigative research and the skills of experienced trial lawyers. On the surface, a typical case of this nature may result in an award against an injured party or parties, but another important aspect is that successful litigation almost always leads the at fault company (as well as other companies making comparable products) to redesign what they are selling so that it no longer poses a danger to the public. When a law firm wins a liability case against a defective product, it goes a long way toward keeping consumers safe.

In this part of the country, there have been some significant settlements that have had a direct impact on how various companies do business. Take Graco, for example. This well-known manufacturer of a wide range of baby products sold through popular stores like Walmart, Sears and Toys”R”Us was fined $4 million when it failed to report hundreds of injuries to children who used its car seats, high chairs and other related products; there were fatalities reported as part of this case. Through the liability case, Graco was forced to acknowledge the deficiencies in some products, was held accountable for the problem and the fine helped ensure the situation was rectified. This is small comfort to parents of children who were injured, but it’s a prime example of a case that has helped to protect consumers going forward.