Defective Products Lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL.

 If you or someone you care about sustained an injury caused by a hazardous product, call a Burger Law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation .

In today’s world, it seems almost everything we touch is a product. From cleaning supplies to vehicles, cosmetics, prescription drugs, medical devices, industrial equipment and more, there’s so surrounding us that has at one point been devised, designed, manufactured, distributed and sold. That’s why everyone involved in manufacturing and selling has a responsibility to make sure you are not put at risk by a faulty product. No one deserves to be put in harm’s way because proper safety protocols were not followed. When someone else breaks the rules and you wind up injured, the Arlington Heights, IL defective products lawyer at Burger Law will fight to get you get maximum compensation for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our defective products lawyer team in Arlington Heights, IL has been seeking and delivering justice for over 30 years and has gotten our clients over $170 million in verdicts and settlements. We know that an injury from a defective product is an unexpected burden and can leave you apprehensive and infuriated. We hold ourselves to the highest standard of legal representation and work around the clock to get our clients in Arlington Heights and throughout Illinois the maximum financial recovery they are owed. In doing so, your Burger Law defective products lawyer will empower you to get back on your feet and feel whole again. Call us now at (314) 500-HURT to take the first step in securing maximum compensation for your or your loved one’s injuries.

If you were hurt by a dangerous product in Arlington Heights, IL, learn how much your claim may be worth by filling out our complimentary personal injury calculator.

The following are some helpful links and FAQS from your Burger Law defective products injury lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL:

• FDA Recall List and Safety Alerts
• Consumer Products Safety Commission Recall List
• U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Recall List
• Recalls.Gov
• What to Do if You’re Injured by a Dangerous Product?
• Can I Sue a Company if Their Product Gave Me Cancer?
• Can I Sue for a Defective Car Part if it Caused My Accident?

Arlington Heights, IL Defective Products Statistics

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has found that hazardous products are responsible for in excess of 29 million injuries and 21,000 fatalities each year.

According to facts from the Insurance Information Institute, in 2019 the mean average that juries awarded plaintiffs in product liability claims was over $7 million, while the median was $2 million. That shows the incredible ruin that can be caused when manufacturers and vendors do not obey the rules.

Strict Liability and Negligence in Defective Products Claims: What’s the Difference?

Most personal injury cases in Arlington Heights, IL are based on the conception of negligence. We all owe each other a duty of care in certain situations; for example, property owners and managers must make sure their premises is reasonably safe so no one sustains a slip and fall. When someone fails in that obligation, for instance if if there a loose floor boards at a restaurant that cause you to fall they may be held liable for your damages and would be obligated to reimburse you for your injuries and other damages.

By contrast, most product liability or defective products claims are strict liability claims, meaning that anyone involved in the manufacture and sale of a product is responsible for any injuries that results the reasonable use of a product, irrespective of negligence. Pursuant to Illinois Jury Instructions 400.00, any product put on the market needs to be “reasonably suitable for use as such accompanies it into the hands of the ultimate purchaser.” To make a successful strict liability claim, you and your Arlington Heights, IL defective products lawyer have to prove that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” — meaning it is unsafe when used in a foreseeable way — at the moment that it got into your hands.

Illinois classifies three different ways in which a product can be found defective:

1. Design Defect: A design defect is an inherent fault in the design that afterwards affects all of that product model that go on to be manufactured. An example is a piece of clothing that is easily flammable.
2. Manufacturing Defects: This refers to a product that was safe in its design but became unsafe because of a failure in the manufacturing process. This can either affect only one product, for example, one can of soda may have a bug in it, or all of them may contain potentially hazardous chemicals. An example could be bugs or other contaminants found in beverages or not properly fastening components to each other.
3. Insufficient Warnings and Instructions: This refers to a product that was designed and manufactured safely but caused injury because it did not give proper instructions or warnings about inherent risks. Examples include a drug that is sold without mentioning certain risks or side effects or cleaning solutions that do not mention corrosive chemicals they contain on the label. A manufacturer generally does not have to warn against risks that a reasonable person would anticipate. For instance, they do not have to warn you that a chainsaw can cut you.

Strict liability is meant to hold corporations accountable and persuade them to implement thorough safety procedures for verifying the safety of their products. Even so, too often corporations do not respect their obligation to make safe products and try to focus more on their bottoms line than ensuring their products will not cause any damage. In those cases, your Burger Law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL will hold them accountable by conducting a full investigation of your case and demanding nothing but the best possible compensation.

Foreseeability in Defective Products Claims in Arlington Heights, IL

Foreseeability is a vital concept in product liability suits, and it applies to all parties involved. The manufacturer must anticipate all the ways someone could reasonably use the product, while in order to make a claim you must not have been using the product in a way they manufacturer could not account for a logical buyer using it. For example, you likely do not have a claim if you were using a power tool recklessly.

How Defective Products Lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL Can Help

Hazardous product suits can be challenging, because of how many parties may be involved, the fact that each will try to blame the others and the fact that manufacturers and large corporations usually have the resources to hire expensive and high-profile legal defense teams. At Burger Law, our defective products lawyer team prides itself on giving the highest level of legal advocacy to the injured in Arlington Heights and throughout Illinois, regardless of a client’s financial status. We have instilled fear into powerful corporations and insurance companies because they know we take on and win the tough cases, and approach each case with the same level of resolve, devotion and expertise.

Your Burger Law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL start working on your case immediately after agreeing to take your case. As your legal advocate, we will:

• Carry out a full investigation, including the history of the product that harmed you and all parties involved from initial design to your final purchase
• Consult with engineers, pharmacists, mechanics and other experts to discover the precisely how a defect or failure to warn caused your damages
• Manage all documentation, investigation, negotiation and litigation so you can have peace of mind during your recovery
• Maintain an open channel of communication with you, so you know what’s going on and have all the information you need to make the best decision for yourself and your Arlington Heights, IL family
• Do everything possible to get you maximum compensation in negotiation so you do not have to deal with a lengthy trial
• Use our 30 years of trial experience to take the fight in court if we have to

Every Burger Law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL is constantly working on their trial tactics and developing new strategies to push back against the deceptive ploys insurance adjusters use to minimize your damages. You only have one chance at receiving the compensation you deserve; don’t let it slip. Call Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT.

Product liability cases also present an opportunity for a class action lawsuit, which are suits where a collective group of people join together to seek justice and compensation against the same company. When you contact a defective products lawyer, you may be able to be connected with others in your position and join their lawsuit. Recently, Burger Law secured a $113.7 million verdict in a class-action claim.

Who Can I Sue for My Defective Products Injuries in Arlington Heights, IL?

In most cases, anyone in the chain of distribution may be held to blame. Illinois has what is known as the “Distributor’s Statute” (735 ILCS 5/2-621), which allows for a distributor or vendor to be dismissed from a lawsuit only if the manufacturer can be found, still exists as a company and is able to pay for your compensation. This is in place so that parties who cannot reasonably be expected to be aware of possible defect are not held responsible for something that happened before they ever received the product. However, your defective products lawyer can make an argument in court to keep the distributor as a defendant if they can show that:

• The distributor was in “significant control” of the design or manufacture of the product;
• The distributor was aware of the product’s defect; or
• The distributor created the defect

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-1117, Illinois is a joint and several liability state. This means that when multiple parties are to blame, they are liable as a group (jointly) and as individuals (severally). So, if one of the defendants cannot afford to compensate you fully or has policy limits, there will be other parties who must pick up their portion of your reimbursement. A veteran and knowledgeable Arlington Heights, IL defective products lawyer like those at Burger Law will fight hard to ensure that each and every liable party to ensure that they are held responsible and you secure the best possible compensation that they owe you.

What Do I Have to Prove in a Defective Products Claim in Arlington Heights, IL?

You and your Arlington Heights, IL defective products lawyer will have to will have to convince the court of the following four factors:

1. You and your defective products lawyer must show that you sustained injuries and damages because of the defective product. If a cosmetic product does not work as intended, but does no harm to your skin or hair, you do not have a claim.
2. You and your defective products lawyer must show that the company or corporation you are filing suit against did not create a safe product or did not sufficiently warn of known or foreseeable hazards.
3. You and your defective products lawyer must prove that the defect or failure to warn was the proximate cause in your accident. If your car had faulty brakes and you were injured in a car accident, you would only have a product liability claim if the defective breaks were a factor to the accident. If the cause of the wreck was a distracted driver who did not check their blindspots before changing lanes, your claim would only be with the other driver’s insurance company.
4. Lastly, you and your defective products lawyer must demonstrate that you were using the product in a reasonable way. If you followed the directions of applying a beauty product and still sustained an injury, you very well might have a claim. If you were injured while riding on top of a car with defective airbags, you would not have a claim as the airbags were not the cause of your injuries and riding on top of a vehicle is not the intent of a car or a reasonable use of it.

Your Burger law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL has been taking on and proving defective products claims for over 30 years and always gets great results for their clients.

Common Types of Defective Products in Arlington Heights, IL

There are so many different varieties of products in our daily lives, and almost any one of them could theoretically cause someone injuries because of a flaw anywhere in the distribution channel. Three of the most common and deadly claims we see are:

Defective Vehicle Parts Lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL

Defective vehicles are the most common type of product liability that our defective products lawyer team sees in Arlington Heights, IL. In 2019 alone, more than 53.1 million individual cars and vehicle components were recalled in the United States. Defective car parts can result in wrecks and fires, and fail to protect occupants from harm as intended. Common defective automobile components we see are:

• Brakes
• Airbags
• Fuel systems
• Electrical wiring
• Wheels
• Door latches
• Accelerators

Offroad vehicles like ATVs can also cause harm, for instance many of them are prone to flipping over.

Defective Medical Devices Lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL

We need medical devices to enhance and extend our lives. But, sometimes they can do the opposite and make our lives worse when they are defective. Common medical devices that your Burger Law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL has seen cause further injuries to patients include:

• Artificial hips, knees or other joints that can result in infections, limited mobility, chronic soreness or repeated dislocations
• Pacemakers, which can cause infections or even wrongful death because of premature failures
• Robotic surgical assistants intended to operate on parts of the body that are difficult for a surgeon to manually reach that, when defective, can result in pierced organs, infections and internal burns
• Blood clot filters that do not sufficiently protect the lungs from free-floating blood clots
• Permanent birth control implements that can perforate organs, result in pain in the pelvic region, excessive hemorrhaging and unintended pregnancies

As the medical industry keeps inventing new technologies, the numbers of recalls issued for medical devices has skyrocketed. In the first three months of 2018, medical device recalls increased 126 percent, with software issues being the foremost factor.

In 2017, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department announced that over the span of a decade Medicare paid out at least $1.5 billion to replace in excess of 73,000 defective heart devices alone. We should not have to worry that these highly advanced medical devices might cause us immense pain instead of helping us. If a faulty medical device ended up worsening your condition, your Arlington Heights, IL defective injuries lawyer at Burger Law will fight for your right to be reimbursed when your trust was betrayed.

In February 2022, Exactech, a manufacturer of joint replacements, had to recall several models of their Polyethylene Knee Replacements. Their knee replacements were incorrectly packaged and shipped, causing them to degrade sooner than anticipated and have caused unimaginable pain and lifelong damage to possibly as many as 150,000 people who had the replacement joint implanted. When Burger Law was made aware of the defect by a client, we immediately got to work bringing them what peace of mind we could and continue to take on Exactech Knee Replacement cases. You can read the complaint we filed for our first client here:

Defective Drug Lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL

The Federal Drug Administration has stringent procedures that pharmaceutical companies must obey from manufacturing to sale. However, the administration does not actually test drugs itself; rather, it relies on data from pharmaceutical companies’ own testing to determine if a drug is safe for release to the public. With no absolute third-party testing many prescriptions reach the shelves whose potential side effects greatly outweigh their potential benefits. Too many corporations value their bottom line over the safety of the people who need medicine and treatments that truly help their condition. Currently, it is usually the pharmaceutical company’s decision if they will recall a drug that has found to have dangerous side effects. One way to make sure dangerous prescriptions stay off the shelves: call a Burger Law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL to stand up for the vulnerable and let these corporations know that their behavior is deplorable.

Hundreds of thousands of drugs and medical devices are recalled in the U.S. annually, and that is often after many people have already turned to them for treatment and relief. If you or a loved one had your condition deteriorate because of careless pharmaceutical companies and corporations, contact a Burger Law defective products injury lawyer now. We protect the rights of the injured and vulnerable and make sure negligent corporations know how much damage has been inflicted because of their actions. Burger Law has already held opioid manufacturers accountable when their negligence has taken someone from their family too soon.

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Other examples of defective products we file suit for in Arlington Heights, IL include:

• Children’s toys
• Chemicals such as week killer
• Baby powder
• Household appliances
• Industrial equipment
• Cell phone batteries
• Cosmetic products

What Compensation Can My Defective Products Lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL Help Me Recover?

In personal injury claims, you at-fault parties are obligated to reimburse you for economic damages, noneconomic damages and, in some rare cases, punitive damages. The total compensation you get will depend on the severity of your injuries, how they have affected you economically, emotionally and physically and the determination of your defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL.

Economic Damages

Economic damages reimburse you for the financial aspects of your injuries, and will typically be the sum total of all of the money you spent or lost because of the dangerous product. Your Arlington Heights, IL defective products lawyer will help you be repaid for:

• Lost wages
• Lost or Reduced earning capacity if your injuries resulted in lifelong impairment
• Medical costs, such as:
  • Emergency room visits
  • Surgeries
  • Doctors appointments
  • Physical therapy
  • Medication
  • In-home care
  • Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or vehicle improvements
• Transportation costs

Noneconomic Damages

Noneconomic damages are harder to define, and are meant to provide you with a sense of being made whole after the physical and emotional pain you experience from your accident. According to 735 ILCS 5/ §2-1115.2, the state of Illinois states that noneconomic damages are, including but not limited to:

• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of society

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages seek to make an example out of corporations for extreme negligence or misconduct. In defective products claims in Illinois, your defective products lawyer can only seek punitive damages if they make a pre-trial motion in a court hearing where they demonstrate that a jury has a good chance of awarding you those damages. The motion must be filed no later than 30 days after the you initially file the lawsuit.

CALL BURGER LAW NOW

Arlington Heights, IL Defective Products Lawyer | Burger Law

We know the idea of going toe-to-toe powerful insurance companies or pharmaceutical companies can be stressful in and of itself, in addition to the stress caused by your injuries. It seems like the larger and more powerful a corporation, the more impossible it is to hold them accountable. But Burger Law will make sure they do not avoid the consequences of their actions. We have pledged our careers to standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and getting the best possible results for our Arlington Heights, IL clients. We fight until there is nothing left to fight and the final verdict or settlement sees you fully compensated and whole again. Consulting with a Burger Law defective products lawyer is free, and we charge no attorneys fees until we achieve a successful resolution in your case. To take the first step in getting justice for your injuries, call a Burger Law defective products lawyer in Arlington Heights, IL today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.