Defective Product Attorneys in Scranton, Milford and Stroudsburg, Serving Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania- The Foley Law Firm

If you or someone you love has suffered an injury due to use of a defective product, our attorneys in Scranton, Milford, and Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, may be able to help you obtain compensation for your damages. At the Foley Law Firm, our attorneys are experts in product liability law, a frequently complex area of personal injury law. Product liability laws are designed to protect the rights of consumers by holding any and all parties responsible for a defect in a product liable for any injuries or deaths that result from the use of that product. Negligent parties could include anyone involved in the creation or commercial transfer of the product, including designers, manufacturers, assemblers, distributors, and retailers. Provided that the product was bought and sold during the normal course of business, and that the injury did not result from misuse of, alteration of, or the failure to read warnings about the product, our product liability attorneys in Scranton and Stroudsburg may be able to help you with your case. From our two convenient office locations, we are able to serve clients from throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, from the Pocono Mountain region to Montour and Lycoming Counties. Our reputation for providing outstanding legal representation attracts clients from major metropolitan areas such as New York and Philadelphia, as well.

There are three basic types of defects that can serve as foundation for a product liability case: design, manufacturing, and informational or marketing. A design defect is one that is inherent in the product from its initial conception, predisposing it to be dangerous before it has even entered the manufacturing stage. A manufacturing defect, the most common type of defect, is one that occurs when the manufacturer of the product or of any of its component parts fails to meet the specifications of the designer. An informational defect involves the failure to provide clear or complete warnings as to the potential hazards of a product, as well as deficient labeling and inadequate instructions for proper use.

Our product liability attorneys in Scranton and Stroudsburg have extensive experience and success handling a wide range of defective product cases. The common element of all defective product cases is the ability to demonstrate that the defect that caused the injury made it unsafe for use. Certainly, not everyone who is injured by a product will be eligible to seek damages, particularly if the injured party was fully aware of the hazards involved in using a product known to be dangerous. However, if you have been injured by a product and are unsure of whether to take legal action, our defective product attorneys in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania would be pleased to evaluate your case.

The following are just a sampling of the specific types of cases handled by our product liability attorneys in Scranton, Milford and Stroudsburg:

Dangerous Machinery

Serious injuries resulting from the use of defective or unreasonably dangerous machinery can take place nearly anywhere, including at the workplace, on construction sites, and in the home. From standard household appliances, lawn mowers, and power tools to heavy construction and manufacturing equipment, machinery that is defective or improperly maintained is responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths each year. In particular, machines involving rotating, punching, or cutting parts, as well as those that produce intense amounts of heat, can pose threats to life, limb, and overall health. Many victims suffer permanent damage, including loss of vision, crushed or amputated limbs, loss of mobility, and brain or spinal cord damage. Tragically, many others do not survive.

If you or someone you love has been seriously harmed by dangerous machinery, please contact our experienced defective product attorneys in Scranton, Milford and Stroudsburg today for an evaluation of your case. By pursuing legal action against the responsible parties, you not only make yourself eligible for the compensation you deserve, you also help to prevent similar injuries from happening in the future.

If you have lost a loved one due to a defective product injury, please also consult the Wrongful Death section of our web site.

Defective Tires

Automobile, truck, motorcycle, and SUV accidents involving defective tires can result in serious, often fatal, injuries to both drivers and passengers. In recent years, safety concerns regarding the manufacture of tires have become an increasingly public issue, particularly since the Firestone tire recall at the beginning of the decade. Although, in general, tire manufacturers have made strides toward ensuring the safety of their products, there are still many tires on the road that are defective and therefore potentially dangerous.

Tire tread separation and blowouts are often the result of faulty or careless manufacturing. In order to produce a tire that meets a reasonable standard of safety, manufacturers must make sure that the metal and rubber adhere properly. This means that the adhesives used must not have expired and that there must be an absence of foreign objects such as grease, rust, and moisture in the tires. The inner belt must also be reinforced with an extra layer of nylon, the lack of which was one of the motivating factors behind the Firestone recall. Tire manufacturers are well aware of the standards of safety, cleanliness, and quality to which they are held. If they fail to meet these standards and an injury ensues, they can be held liable for damages.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured in an accident caused by a defective tire, please contact our product liability attorneys in Scranton, Milford, Stroudsburg, and Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania today.

Lack of Warnings

When a product is sold to the public, consumers have the right to use that product for its intended purpose without fear of defects that would render it unnecessarily and unforeseeably dangerous. It is the responsibility of those who release, market, and distribute the product to advise consumers of any potential hazards involved in its use, usually through clearly labeled warnings on the packaging of the product. When insufficient, unclear, or missing consumer warnings result in serious injury or death, those responsible for the lack of adequate warnings can be held liable.

Ladders

One of the most common yet dangerous pieces of equipment in both the home and the workplace, the ladder is responsible for thousands of serious injuries each year in the United States. Although some of these injuries occur due to the deliberate misuse of a ladder, many others result from the proper use of ladders that were badly designed or manufactured. Furthermore, in the workplace, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that ladders are properly maintained and regularly inspected for flaws and damage, as well as to discontinue the use of any ladder that is potentially unsafe. Likewise, employers must supervise the use of ladders by employees, making sure that metal ladders are not used around electrical wires or equipment. Failure to do so can lead to shock or electrocution.

Motor Vehicles

Even the safest drivers face innumerable risks when they operate a motor vehicle. It is the responsibility of automotive manufacturers to reduce these risks by adhering to strict safety standards in both the design and manufacturing stages. If a car is made unsafe by defective seatbelts, child safety restraints, airbags, brakes, or other equipment, the manufacturer of the car or of the defective device may be held liable for any injuries that result. Likewise, the manufacturer must take appropriate measures to ensure that the fuel system operates properly and is adequately protected from foreseeable damage in the event of a crash; the failure to do so can result in potentially deadly fires and explosions. In addition, a vehicle must be sufficiently "crashworthy" in the event of a collision or rollover. This standard has become increasingly important in SUV cases, as many rollover accidents have resulted in serious injury or death due to inadequate roof strength and deficient occupant survival zones.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a serious automobile accident, please consult the Motor Vehicle Accidents page of our web site or contact our defective product attorneys in Northeastern Pennsylvania today.

Pressure Treated Wood

Although many people are unaware of this, much of the wood that is used in such common structures as fences and playground equipment has been treated with chromated copper arsenic, or CCA, a chemical known to cause cancer in humans. Indeed, the vast majority of wood used in outdoor structures has been pressure treated with CCA, which serves as a pesticide and anti-fungal agent. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has taken steps toward phasing out the use of CCA to treat wood, pressure treated wood used in existing structures remains a hazard, particularly for children. Exposure to excessive levels of CCA drastically increases the likelihood that a child will develop cancer later in life. Since CCA can also infiltrate ground water, the risk of exposure exists even for those who avoid direct contact with pressure treated wood.

If you or someone you love has worked with or used pressure treated wood and has suffered from arsenic poisoning or some other ailment as a result, please contact the experienced attorneys at the Foley Law Firm for an evaluation of your case.

Dangerous Pharmaceutical Drugs

Recently, a number of pharmaceutical drugs have been linked to serious illnesses and even deaths in users. Many of these drugs were voluntarily withdrawn from the market by their manufactures, while others remain available for the time being. At the Foley Law Firm, our attorneys can help those who have been injured from the use of a dangerous pharmaceutical drug, including:

Accutane®
Ephedra
Fen-Phen
OxyContin®
Rezulin
Serzone
Vioxx®

If you lost a loved one who had used any of the above drugs or any other potentially dangerous pharmaceutical drug, you and your family may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against the drug's manufacturer.

If you have suffered serious injury due to the use of a dangerous pharmaceutical drug, please contact the attorneys at the Foley Law Firm for an evaluation of your case.

If you have been seriously injured by a defective product, our product liability attorneys in Scranton, Milsford, Stroudsburg, Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, can help you obtain the compensation to which you are entitled. We handle cases involving design, manufacturing, and informational defects. Trust us for justice.