When companies care more about profits than making safe products, it’s the consumers who suffer the consequences. Fortunately, consumers in Alabama are protected by the state’s product liability laws. When you suffer an injury or the wrongful death of a family member because of a defective product, you can sue the manufacturer for damages.
Make the most of your product liability case by hiring the award-winning legal team at Singleton Schreiber. Our Montgomery personal injury attorneys have decades of experience navigating high-stakes, complex legal disputes on behalf of injured consumers and grieving families. As local litigators with our law firm’s national resources at our disposal, we’ve helped clients win millions of dollars from powerful corporations.
Now, we’re here to offer the experience, winning strategies, and fearless advocacy you’ll need to maximize your financial recovery, too. Contact our Montgomery law office today to schedule a free consultation.
Understanding Alabama’s Product Liability Laws
Pursuant to Alabama Code Section 6-5-521, a consumer can bring a product liability lawsuit against a manufacturer for damages related to property damage, personal injury, or wrongful death based on:
- The manufacturer’s negligence
- Misrepresentation (innocent or negligent)
- The manufacturer’s liability doctrine,
- The Alabama Extended Manufacturer’s Extended Liability Doctrine (AEMLD)
- Breach of implied warranty, or
- Breach of an oral express warranty.
Most product liability lawsuits are pursued under the Alabama Extended Manufacturer’s Liability Doctrine. The AEMLD provides that a manufacturer can be strictly liable for damages caused by a defective product. The Supreme Court of Alabama explained that a company is considered negligent as a matter of law if it places an unreasonably safe product on the market, so it should be strictly liable for any resulting harm.
However, Alabama’s rules regarding strict liability in product liability cases are slightly different from those of other states.
In a common law strict liability case, a consumer must demonstrate that a product was defective and that it caused harm.
In Alabama, a consumer must prove:
- The consumer received a product that was not substantially altered from the time it was manufactured
- The product was defective, which caused it to be unreasonably dangerous for its intended use
- The product caused property damage, bodily injury, or death
- The consumer suffered damages
Manufacturers also have the opportunity to defend against claims of strict liability in Alabama. They could argue that the consumer shared responsibility for their injuries, the product was substantially altered before it made it to the consumer, or the consumer knew about potential risks involved in using the product and did so anyway, or that the product was misused.
When Is a Product Considered to be Defective?
There are three main ways in which a product suffers from a defect that can give rise to a product liability lawsuit: design defect, manufacturing defect, and marketing defect.
- Design defect: a product is inherently unsafe because of a problem with the way it is designed
- Manufacturing defect: a product poses a threat to consumer safety because of a mistake that was made when it was assembled, built, or constructed
- Marketing defect: consumers are at an increased risk of injury because the manufacturer failed to warn about potential threats to their safety when using the product as intended
Products can suffer from one type of defect or multiple types of defects. A product liability lawsuit must prove each defect it alleges.
Representing Clients Who’ve Been Injured By All Types of Defective Products in Montgomery, AL
At Singleton Schreiber, our Alabama product liability lawyers in Montgomery have extensive experience fighting for consumers who’ve been harmed by defective:
- Household appliances
- Personal care products
- Cosmetics
- Electronic devices
- Lithium-ion batteries
- Lawn equipment
- Power tools
- Household chemicals and pesticides
- Heavy machinery
- Work equipment
- Furniture
- Children’s products and toys
- Prescription medications
- Over-the-counter medications
- Medical devices and equipment
- Clothing
- Vehicles and vehicle components
- Contaminated food
Backed by decades of hands-on experience litigating high-stakes, complex product liability disputes for clients across the country, we bring a level of skill that’s required to help you, the injured consumer, take on a powerful corporation and win top-tier case results.
Don’t hesitate to put our award-winning Montgomery personal injury attorneys in your corner as you navigate your product liability lawsuit. We’re here to answer your questions, explain your rights, and offer the support you need. Call us for a free case evaluation today.
What Could My Product Liability Case Be Worth?
Many factors contribute to calculating what a product liability lawsuit might be worth. First, it’s important to understand that, as a plaintiff, you can seek two types of compensatory damages for your losses.
You can request economic damages to help offset the verifiable, objective financial consequences you’ve experienced because of your injuries, which often include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and income
- Disability
- Reduced earning capacity
- Damage to personal property
- Costs paid out of pocket
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
You can also ask to be compensated for your harder-to-value trauma and life changes with non-economic damages, which often include money for:
- Chronic pain
- Inconvenience
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
Generally speaking, the more severely you’ve been injured by a defective product, the more your personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer might be worth. More severe injuries tend to lead to higher medical bills, more time out of work, and bigger life changes that demand higher monetary awards.
Call Singleton Schreiber For a Free Consultation With an Experienced Montgomery Product Liability Attorney
Dangerous products can cause life-changing physical injuries and wrongful death, including spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, amputation, broken bones, and severe burns. If you’ve suffered injuries because of an unreasonably safe product in Montgomery, AL, Singleton Schreiber can help you take action and demand compensation from the manufacturer.
Our Montgomery product liability lawyers are highly respected and successful litigators with a multi-million-dollar track record. We bring unmatched resources, experience, and legal strategies to the table, which shows powerful corporations that you’re not willing to walk away until you’ve been paid maximum compensation for your injuries.
You’ll have limited time to pursue damages. Alabama applies a two-year statute of limitations to most product liability lawsuits. It’s important to seek legal assistance as soon as you can to protect your rights. Call our personal injury lawyers in Montgomery, AL, today to discuss your product liability case. We’re here to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
