You trusted that the product you bought was safe. The manufacturer put it on the shelf, the retailer sold it, and you brought it home expecting it to work as promised. Instead, you suffered serious injuries from a defect that should never have left the factory.
At Hill & Associates, our Philadelphia product liability lawyers represent people injured by defective and dangerous products. Whether the harm came from a manufacturing defect, a flawed design, or a failure to warn about known risks, we fight to hold companies accountable and secure the compensation you need to make the best possible recovery.
We take on manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who put profits ahead of safety. From our Center City office, we serve clients throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Free Consultation | No Fee Unless We Win | Contact Hill & Associates Today
SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION TODAY
Why Do Philadelphia Families Choose Hill & Associates?
Since 1999, Leonard Hill and his team have helped injured individuals in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania recover more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements.
Leonard holds an LL.M. in Trial Advocacy from Temple University Beasley School of Law, a credential held by fewer than 1% of attorneys nationwide. That advanced training in courtroom strategy shows defendants and their insurers that we are prepared to take cases to trial when they refuse to offer fair settlements.
We represent only injured individuals. We never work for insurance companies, manufacturers, or corporations that cause harm. This means every member of our team is focused entirely on your recovery. We limit the cases we accept each year so we can provide personalized attention, answer your questions promptly, and build the strongest possible case.
Our contingency fee arrangement means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Your initial consultation is always free, and there is no obligation. We want you to have the information you need to make the best decision for yourself and your family.
What Injuries Do Defective Products Cause?
Dangerous consumer products cause a wide range of serious injuries. The type of harm depends on the product involved and the nature of the defect. Common injuries in product liability cases include:
- Burn injuries from defective appliances, batteries, and electronics
- Electrical injuries from faulty wiring or components
- Traumatic brain injuries from vehicle defects, falling objects, or equipment failures
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis from vehicle or equipment malfunctions
- Internal injuries from ingesting contaminated products or drug side effects
- Amputations and crushing injuries from defective machinery and power tools
- Choking and suffocation from dangerous children's products
Many product injuries require emergency surgery, extended hospital stays, and months or years of rehabilitation. Some cause permanent disability. Pennsylvania product liability law allows injured consumers and their families to pursue compensation from the companies responsible for these preventable harms.
How Does Product Liability Work Under Pennsylvania Law?
Pennsylvania follows Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts for product liability claims. This means you may have a claim even if the manufacturer exercised reasonable care in making the product. The focus is on whether the product itself was defective and unreasonably dangerous.
Product liability claims in Pennsylvania generally fall into three categories:
- Strict liability: Companies can be held liable for selling defective products regardless of how careful they were.
- Negligence: Companies failed to use reasonable care in designing, manufacturing, or warning about the product.
- Breach of warranty: The product failed to meet express or implied promises about its safety or performance.
To succeed in a product liability claim, you generally must show that the product was defective, the defect existed when it left the manufacturer's control, and the defect caused your injuries while you were using the product as intended or in a reasonably foreseeable way.
What Types of Product Defects Lead to Lawsuits?
Product defects fall into three main categories. Each type of defect can form the basis of a product liability claim in Pennsylvania.
Manufacturing Defects
A manufacturing defect occurs when something goes wrong during production. The product's design may be perfectly safe, but an error in assembly, contamination, or the use of substandard materials makes one unit or batch dangerous.
Examples include contaminated medications, auto parts with hairline cracks, and appliances with faulty wiring.
Design Defects
A design defect affects every unit of a product because the flaw is in the blueprint itself. Even when manufactured perfectly according to specifications, the product is inherently unsafe.
Examples include vehicles prone to rollovers, power tools without adequate guards, and children's products with small parts that pose choking hazards.
Failure to Warn
Some products carry risks that cannot be designed away. In those cases, manufacturers must provide adequate warnings and instructions. A failure-to-warn claim arises when a company knows about dangers but fails to alert consumers.
Examples include prescription drugs with undisclosed side effects, chemicals without proper hazard labels, and equipment without safety instructions.
What Types of Product Liability Cases Does Hill & Associates Handle?
Our Philadelphia product liability attorneys handle cases involving a wide range of dangerous and defective products.
Defective Medical Devices
Surgical implants, hip and knee replacements, hernia mesh, pacemakers, and other medical devices can fail inside the body, causing serious complications, additional surgeries, and permanent injury.
Dangerous Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
Prescription and over-the-counter medications with undisclosed side effects, contamination, or improper dosing instructions can cause severe harm. These cases often involve failure-to-warn claims against drug manufacturers.
Defective Vehicle Parts
Brake failures, airbag defects, tire blowouts, faulty ignition switches, and defective seatbelts can turn minor accidents into catastrophic events. We pursue claims against auto manufacturers and parts suppliers.
Dangerous Consumer Products
Household appliances, electronics, power tools, furniture, and children's toys can all contain defects that cause injuries. Many of these products are subject to recalls by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Defective Product?
Pennsylvania law allows injured consumers to pursue claims against any party in the chain of distribution. This means you are not limited to suing the manufacturer. Depending on the facts of your case, potentially liable parties include:
- Product manufacturers
- Component part manufacturers
- Product distributors and wholesalers
- Retailers who sold the product
- Importers who brought foreign products into the U.S. market
In many cases, multiple parties share liability. A component manufacturer may be responsible for a defective part, while the product manufacturer may be liable for inadequate quality control. Our Philadelphia product liability attorneys identify all responsible parties to maximize your potential recovery.
What Evidence Supports My Product Liability Claim?
Building a successful product liability case requires gathering and preserving specific evidence. Our attorneys work with engineers, product safety consultants, and medical professionals to document defects and connect them to your injuries.
Key evidence in product liability cases includes:
- The defective product itself (preserved in its post-accident condition)
- Product recalls and safety bulletins issued by the manufacturer or CPSC
- Internal company documents showing knowledge of defects
- Expert testimony from engineers and product safety specialists
- Medical records documenting your injuries and treatment
- Photographs and videos of the product and the accident scene
- Reports from the CPSC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and other government agencies.
Preserving the defective product is critical. Do not throw it away, return it to the manufacturer, or attempt to repair it. Your attorney will need to have the product examined by qualified experts.
Should I Talk to the Insurance Company About My Case?
After reporting a product-related injury, you may receive calls from insurance adjusters or company representatives. They may seem sympathetic and offer a quick settlement. Before you accept any offer or sign any documents, consider what is really happening.
Insurance companies operate strictly in their best interests, not yours. Their job is to minimize payouts, not to compensate you fairly.
Early settlement offers often come before the full extent of your injuries is known. If you accept a lowball offer and later discover you need additional surgery or long-term care, you cannot go back and ask for more.
Adjusters are trained to get recorded statements and ask questions designed to undermine your claim. Anything you say can be used against you later. An experienced product liability attorney can handle all communications with insurance companies, protect your rights, and negotiate from a position of strength and authority.
What Compensation Can I Recover in a Product Liability Case?
Pennsylvania law allows injured consumers to recover compensation for both economic and non-economic losses.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover your financial losses, including:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy costs
- Lost wages during recovery
- Diminished earning capacity if you cannot return to your previous work
- Cost of assistive devices and home modifications
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate for losses without a specific price tag, including:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
Wrongful Death Damages
When a defective product causes death, surviving family members may pursue compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship and guidance.
How Long Do I Have to File a Product Liability Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's statute of limitations (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524) generally gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a product liability lawsuit.
However, the "discovery rule" may extend this deadline in certain situations. If you could not reasonably have known about the defect or your injury until later, the two-year clock may start when you discovered (or should have discovered) the harm. This is common with pharmaceutical injuries, where side effects may not appear for months or years.
Consulting with an attorney as soon as possible helps to protect your rights and preserve important evidence. Waiting too long can result in lost documents, faded memories, and missed deadlines that might jeopardize your recovery.
What Should I Do After a Defective Product Injury?
If a defective product has injured you, taking the right steps early can strengthen your claim and protect your recovery.
- Seek medical attention immediately, even if your injuries seem minor at first.
- Preserve the product exactly as it was after the accident.
- Take photographs of the product, your injuries, and the accident scene.
- Keep the packaging, receipts, and instructions that came with the product.
- Document your symptoms and treatment in a journal.
- Avoid communicating with the manufacturer or its insurer until you speak with an attorney.
- Contact a product liability lawyer as soon as possible.
Do not return the product to the store or manufacturer, and do not sign any documents from the company or its representatives without legal advice.
Hill & Associates: Serving Product Liability Clients Throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
From our Center City office at 1700 Market Street, Hill & Associates represents product liability victims throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding region. Our personal injury lawyers handle cases in all Philadelphia neighborhoods, including Center City, University City, North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Kensington, Germantown, and the Northeast.
We also serve clients in Montgomery County, Delaware County, Bucks County, Chester County, and throughout Pennsylvania. Product liability cases in Philadelphia County are filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, where our attorneys appear regularly. Complex cases may be filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania federal court.
FAQs About Product Liability Claims in Philadelphia
Can I sue a manufacturer for a defective product in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Pennsylvania law allows injured consumers to sue manufacturers, distributors, and retailers for injuries caused by defective products. You may have claims based on strict liability, negligence, or breach of warranty.
What if the product was recalled after my injury?
A recall can actually strengthen your case. It suggests the manufacturer knew or should have known about the defect. You can check for recalls through the CPSC recall database. Even if a recall occurred after your injury, you may still have a valid claim.
How much is a product liability lawsuit worth?
The value of your case depends on factors including the severity of your injuries, your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and the strength of the evidence showing the product was defective. We can evaluate your case during a free consultation.
How much does a Philadelphia product liability lawyer cost?
At Hill & Associates, you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means our fee comes from a percentage of your recovery. Your initial consultation is free.
What proof do I need for a defective product lawsuit?
You will need evidence that the product was defective, that you were using it as intended (or in a foreseeable way), and that the defect caused your injuries. The most important piece of evidence is often the product itself. Our team works with engineers and product safety consultants to build your case.
Do I need a lawyer for a product liability case?
Product liability cases are complex. Manufacturers have teams of lawyers and experts working to defend them. An experienced attorney can gather evidence, retain qualified experts, negotiate with insurers, and take your case to trial if necessary. Without legal representation, you may be at a significant disadvantage.
Speak With a Philadelphia Product Liability Lawyer Today
If a defective product has injured you or someone you love, you deserve answers. At Hill & Associates, we are committed to holding manufacturers accountable and fighting for fair compensation on behalf of injured consumers throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. There is no pressure or obligation to act, and there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.