Who to Sue in a Product Liability Claim?

If you have been hurt by a defective product, a personal injury lawyer Salt Lake City UT clients trust can explain how you may deserve to receive compensation for your pain and suffering. However, it may not be an easy process to determine who is responsible.

Each Salt Lake City personal injury lawyer from Rasmussen & Miner has decades of experience in personal injury, specializing in products liability. Having to identify all of the parties involved in the distribution of a defective product can be extremely complex and our team will work to make this process as easy as possible for you.

The Chain of Distribution Parties

As a personal injury lawyer Salt Lake City UT families rely on can explain, the chain of distribution is the journey that the product takes from the beginning at manufacturing all the way to the end at the distribution to the customers. It is important to include all parties involved in the process of the creation of the distribution of the injury-causing product.

These are the types of groups usually involved at one point throughout the chain of distribution of any type of product. A personal injury lawyer Salt Lake City UT victims recommend knows there may also be more than one defendant in each category.

1. Manufacturer: The manufacturer is at the beginning of the chain of distribution. The manufacturer could be a multinational company or an individual working in a basement. If the product that caused you an injury is part of a larger product, your claim should include the manufacturer of the defective part and the manufacturer of the product which contains the defective part. For instance, if your car battery exploded and you were injured, you would bring a case against the manufacturer of the battery as well as the car.

2. Retailer: The retail store in which you bought the defective product could be liable for selling you a product that caused an injury. It does not matter that the retail store did not manufacture the product; the retail store is part of the chain of the distribution and can be named in a lawsuit.

As a personal injury lawyer in Salt Lake City UT can attest, it is important to note the following when considering a lawsuit against the retailer:

You did not have to buy the product. If you did not purchase the product yourself but you were injured by the defective product, you may still be entitled to compensation. If you were given cough syrup by your friend and it caused an injury, you would still be able to start a claim despite not purchasing the cough syrup directly.
You did not have to be using the product. You may be able to file a defective claim if you were injured by a product that someone else was using. If your neighbor was mowing their lawn and a blade flies off and hits you, you would still be able to file a claim despite not using the product at the time of the injury.

Let a Personal Injury Lawyer Salt Lake City UT Locals Call Help You

Products should be properly manufactured and retailers should be aware of the quality of the products they are selling. If you have been injured by a defective product, you should fight to receive compensation for your pain and suffering due to their negligence. Contact Rasmussen & Miner today at (801) 363-8500 to schedule an appointment with a personal injury lawyer Salt Lake City UT provides and to begin your case to holding manufacturers and retailers responsible for their products.