You expect the products you use to be safe. Yet each year, thousands of people suffer injuries from defective products ranging from household appliances and children’s toys to vehicle parts and medical devices. These injuries often happen without warning, leaving victims with mounting medical bills, lost wages, and long-term pain.
Though Missouri and Kansas have laws that protect consumers from dangerous products, taking on large manufacturers and their insurance companies can feel overwhelming and require specialized knowledge and resources. Fortunately, you don’t have to seek justice alone.
The Jacobs Law Firm helps clients hold negligent companies accountable for the harm their products cause. Whether you’re dealing with injuries from a faulty car component, a dangerous medication, contaminated food, or any other defective product, Kansas City products liability lawyer Irving J. Jacobs can protect your rights and help you fight for the compensation needed to rebuild your life.
Types of Products Liability Claims We Handle
Harmful products lead to distinct products liability claims based on the underlying safety issue. Our Kansas City law firm represents clients in all types of product cases, including those stemming from:
- Design defects. These cases involve products that are inherently dangerous due to flawed design. Even when manufactured and used correctly, these products pose unreasonable user risks. For example, a ladder that becomes unstable at certain heights or a car that rolls over during regular turns could have defective designs.
- Manufacturing defects. These defects occur during the production process, causing some units to differ from the intended design. A manufacturing defect might affect a single item or an entire batch. Examples include contaminated medications, incorrectly assembled vehicle parts or electronics with faulty wiring.
- Marketing defects. Also called failure to warn, these cases involve products that lack proper warnings about risks or inadequate instructions for safe use. Manufacturers must warn consumers about potential dangers, even when those dangers only affect certain uses under specific conditions.
- Breach of warranty claims. Consumers may have grounds for legal action when products fail to perform as promised by express or implied warranties. This can include situations where a product doesn’t work as advertised or fails to meet basic quality and safety expectations.
Common Types of Dangerous Products
The Jacobs Law Firm helps clients secure the justice and compensation they deserve for injuries resulting from defective products. Our Kansas City products liability lawyer can protect your rights in cases with injuries from:
- Motor vehicle components. Defective airbags, faulty brakes, tire blowouts, and seat belt failures can cause serious crashes and injuries. We have extensive experience handling cases involving both passenger vehicles and motorcycles.
- Medical devices and pharmaceuticals. From defective implants to dangerous drugs with undisclosed side effects, medical products can cause serious harm when they don’t work as intended or carry hidden risks.
- Household products and appliances. When poorly designed or manufactured, everyday items like space heaters, power tools, furniture, and kitchen appliances can cause fires, electrocution, or other injuries.
- Children’s toys and products. Items designed for our most vulnerable consumers should meet the highest safety standards. Unfortunately, many children’s products are recalled each year due to choking hazards, toxic materials, or other dangers.
- Food and beverages. Contaminated or improperly processed food can cause severe illness. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers all have responsibilities to ensure food safety.
What You Must Prove—and What You Might Recover—in a Kansas City Products Liability Case
Winning a products liability case requires more than a simple claim that a product was dangerous or caused an injury. For your case to succeed, you must prove:
- The product was defective. Your attorney must show that the product contained a design, manufacturing, or marketing defect that made it unreasonably dangerous.
- You used the product as intended. You must establish that you used the product in a reasonably foreseeable way, even if not exactly as directed.
- The defect caused your injuries. Your lawyer must demonstrate a direct link between the product and your injuries.
- You suffered actual damages. You must show that you experienced physical injuries, financial losses, or other quantifiable harm.
Potential Damages
Depending on the facts and evidence in the case, you may be entitled to recover the following damages if your claim is successful:
- All medical expenses related to your injuries, including the cost of future care
- Lost income, including compensation for reduced earning capacity, if applicable
- Pain and suffering, such as physical pain and emotional distress
- Permanent disability or disfigurement for injuries causing lasting disability or visible scarring
- Property damage, if the defective product damaged your home, vehicle, or other property
- Punitive damages if the conduct that caused your injuries is particularly egregious
How Partnering With Us Can Help Your Claim
Products liability cases involve technical legal concepts and often require detailed scientific evidence. Manufacturers and their insurance companies fight these claims vigorously, using their substantial resources to avoid liability.
At The Jacobs Law Firm, our Kansas City products liability lawyer levels the playing field. We have the knowledge, experience, and resources to take on powerful corporations and their attorneys. We work with technical experts, including engineers, designers, and medical professionals, to build strong cases for our clients. From investigating your claim to negotiating with insurance companies to representing you at trial, if necessary, we’re with you every step of the way.