
Indianapolis Product Liability Lawyer
When you buy something in Indianapolis, you never imagine that it will harm you or your family – nobody ever does – yet thousands are injured by defective products every year, and the consequences can be devastating.
But if you have been hurt or lost a loved one because of an unsafe product, get in touch with the Indianapolis product liability lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, where we have been standing up for the seriously injured for more than 25 years. No feat is too daunting or adversary too intimidating to stop us from tirelessly advocating for our clients’ interests.
You can schedule a free consultation with a dedicated Indianapolis product liability attorney today by calling us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form.
What Is a Product Liability Claim?
Product liability is a subset of personal injury law that is concerned with injuries incurred from defective merchandise. The rules governing product liability claims in the Hoosier State are detailed in the Indiana Products Liability Act (IPLA), which applies to “actions that are (1) brought by a user or consumer; (2) against a manufacturer or seller; and (3) for physical harm caused by a product.”
Under the IPLA, a product is considered defective if it is passed on to a consumer in a condition that endangers that consumer when he or she uses the product as the seller recommended. For a product liability claim to be viable, a plaintiff will generally have to show that:
- The product was defective when it was sold (and not modified afterward);
- An injury was sustained while using the defective product as intended; and
- The defect directly caused injury.
Various aspects of a product can be defective, though the majority of Indiana product liability cases allege one of three kinds of defects:
- Design defects – The product was so defective in its design that it would still have been harmful even if it had been perfectly manufactured.
- Manufacturing defects – An error in the manufacturing process introduced a defect that was not inherent in the product’s design, thereby making it dangerous.
- Warning defects – The product is not defective in and of itself but must be operated in a specific way to avoid harm, yet it did not come with sufficient warnings about the hazards posed by foreseeable misuse.
It can be difficult to know what to do after being hurt by something you trusted, but our Indianapolis product liability lawyers can analyze what took place and determine the next steps to take against everyone who is liable for your product-related injury.
Who Can Be Liable for a Product-Related Injury?
This raises an important question: Who can be liable for a product-related injury? The answer may depend upon the nature of that injury and the defect associated with it. However, the IPLA holds that anyone who plays a role in getting a defective product to a consumer could potentially be pursued for the harm it inflicts, a chain of liability that could stretch from the product’s conception to its distribution. As such, Indianapolis product liability defendants frequently include:
- Designers – If products are flawed at the design stage, their designers could be culpable for their failure to recognize problems during testing or address them by incorporating additional precautions into their designs.
- Manufacturers – When products are defective because they have been manufactured incorrectly or with inappropriate or inferior materials, their manufacturers could be held to account.
- Marketers and sellers – Consumers have a right to make informed decisions, and anyone who markets or sells products without adequately instructing consumers how to use them without harm could be responsible for the injuries that may result.
In some instances, multiple individuals or entities may share blame for a single product-based Indianapolis personal injury, and it is critical to go after all of them within the time allotted by law, known as the Statute of Limitations. The Statute for most product liability claims in Indiana is two years from the onset of your injuries but not more than ten years after the purchase of the product.
Neglecting to file a product liability lawsuit or otherwise resolve a claim before the Statue expires could bar you from obtaining full compensation, but our meticulous Indianapolis product liability attorneys will dot every “i” and cross every “t” so that a careless oversight won’t stall your case.
Common Indianapolis Product Liability Claims
Any product that injures a consumer could provide grounds for a product liability case, though certain product categories are more often subject to personal injury litigation than others, and Indianapolis product liability claims are especially common from victims who were hurt by:
- Drugs and medical devices – With so many Americans living longer, the demand for drugs and medical devices is at a record high. By and large, these advances have been a net positive, though the truth is that some medical interventions have been linked to deadly ailments, disastrous side effects, and complications that may be far worse than the issues that they purport to treat.
- Household items – A number of innocuous items around the house can be detrimental to your health. Whether they are appliances that tip over or catch fire or toys that could put children at risk of choking or suffocating, the products that promise to help us could end up doing the exact opposite.
- Vehicles and auto parts – The average passenger vehicle is composed of around 30,000 parts, and a catastrophic breakdown in traffic could be inevitable if that vehicle or its parts has been negligently designed or produced, which could lead to a car accident in which other motorists may be hurt.
No matter what product injured you, Hensley’s knowledgeable Indianapolis product liability lawyers can advise you of what to expect you are contemplating a case.
What Our Indianapolis Product Liability Attorneys Can Do for You
Getting injured by a product can turn your world upside down, overwhelming you with mounting expenses while making it tougher to earn the money to cover them. Moreover, if you try to acquire the funds necessary to meet the new strains on your finances, you could face stiff resistance from multi-billion-dollar corporations and insurance giants who will do everything in their power to preserve their bottom lines.
You need attorneys with the compassion to support you through your struggles and the skills to overcome them. In short, you need the Indianapolis product liability attorneys at Hensley Legal Group.
If you hire Hensley, we will launch a thorough investigation into your injury and everyone who contributed to it, then move swiftly to amass the materials to construct the strongest case possible. If the situation requires it, we will subpoena the defendants’ internal communications, reports, documentation, and data pertaining to the design, development, production, and marketing of the product in order to expose any prior awareness of its defects or attempts to hide them. We can also join forces with experts who can convey complex technical information in a clear and compelling manner.
After putting together an airtight case against the at-fault parties, our tenacious Indianapolis product liability lawyers will strive to negotiate a settlement that reflects the totality of your losses, such as your:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional distress
- Mobility restrictions
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive and wrongful death damages (when relevant)
And unlike many of our competitors, who seldom, if ever, venture into a courtroom, we are not afraid to proceed to trial if we do not receive an offer that is worthy of your claim.
You may be reluctant to agree to more expenditures when you can least afford them, but Hensley Legal Group works on a contingency basis, which means that you won’t have to pay us anything until our Indianapolis product liability attorneys win your case.
We chose to represent you because we believe in you, and we are willing to shoulder all of the burdens involved in making you whole again.
Reach Out to Our Indianapolis Product Liability Lawyers
Hensley Legal Group has been fighting on behalf of the hardworking men and women of Indiana since the firm first opened its doors in 1998. If you have been badly hurt by the thoughtless acts of a thoughtless actor, reach out to our Indianapolis product liability lawyers to explore your legal options.
For a no-cost case review with a seasoned Indianapolis product liability attorney, just call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form now.
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