Jacksonville Product Liability Lawyer: Manufacturing Defect

Florida law observes a doctrine known as strict product liability. This means that businesses can be held responsible for injuries caused by their products. It does not matter if business owners are intentionally negligent or careless. The reasoning behind these laws is that it will encourage businesses to carefully oversee the manufacturing of each product they sell.

Unfortunately, these laws cannot prevent all dangerous products from being placed on the market. When this happens, the law distinguishes between two different kinds of product defects: design and manufacturing. The purpose of this distinction is to help courts determine who can be held responsible for injuries caused by products.

Liability without Fault

Manufacturing defects occur when products are designed well but poorly made. For example, an electronic device may be made with a frayed wire, turning it into a fire hazard. A product is considered defective if it poses a danger:

• When used as intended
• When used in a way that its manufacturers could have easily foreseen
• That outweighs its usefulness

A business’s responsibility for manufacturing defects is also known as liability without fault. This is because businesses are automatically liable for any injuries caused by their products when they are used correctly. Plaintiffs generally do not have to show evidence for the specific mistake made by producers of dangerous products.

How a Jacksonville Product Liability Attorney can Help

Although strict liability laws may seem simple at first, the issues surrounding them can become complicated. The plaintiff in a lawsuit must show that he or she was using the product correctly, that the product was flawed, and that this flaw directly caused his or her injuries. A good attorney will know what evidence is needed to prove this, and how to present the evidence convincingly in court.

To learn more, contact Jacksonville manufacturing defect lawyer Don Guthrie at 904-493-6455.