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Defective parts can cause products to malfunction in unexpected ways that injure their users. When you sustain injuries from using a product properly, you may need to seek compensation by filing a lawsuit against one or more companies. Defective parts lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Hyram Montero, is a good resource for advice and help determining whether you have a viable product liability suit.
Product liability lawsuits are complicated. The more information you can give your lawyer, the better chance you have of recovering compensation for your losses such as medical expenses and lost wages. It’s also important to start your lawsuit as soon as possible. Filing a lawsuit quickly helps ensure that the statute of limitations does not expire and that your lawyer can obtain the evidence needed to prove liability.
Determining Liability in a Defective Parts Lawsuit
Today’s companies do not operate in vacuums. Many of them operate in global networks that send supplies and products all over the country and world. This can make it difficult to determine who is responsible for defective parts that cause damages.
Most product liability lawsuits involving defective parts name the manufacturers as defendants. Since these companies made the product, they are often held responsible for defective parts that cause injuries. The manufacturer, however, may not have made the faulty part. The company may have purchased the faulty part from a supplier or other manufacturer. In this case, your lawsuit may list the manufacturer and its supplier as defendants. The supplier is responsible for producing a defective product, but the manufacturer is also responsible for passing that defective piece on to you, the consumer.
It’s also possible to include the retailer in a product liability suit. In fact, any company in the supply and distribution chain may have some responsibility.
Depending on the specifics of your case, our firm may decide to pursue damages from one or more of the companies involved in making and selling the faulty product.
Statute of Limitations for Defective Parts Product Liability Lawsuits
Florida law recognizes that consumers cannot expect to use products forever. After a decade has passed, reasonable owners simply cannot expect items to continue functioning as they did when they were new. The courts have, therefore, created statutes of limitations that protect businesses from overly litigious consumers.
In most cases, the statute of limitations for product liability involving defective parts ends after four years of discovering the problem. If you noticed that a part was defective on May 10, 2010, then you likely have until May 10, 2014, to file your lawsuit. After that time passes, the court will dismiss the case.
It’s important to understand that the four-year statute of limitation can also start at a time when a reasonable person would notice the defective part. Just because you willfully resist diagnosing a product’s malfunction does not mean that you can extend the statute of limitations.
Florida’s law also considers the age of the product. Since the court does not expect more than 10 years of performance from a product, the statute of limitations usually expires 10 years after the first purchase.
Seeking Compensation for Damages Caused by Defective Parts
Our product liability attorneys have years of experience working with these types of cases. If you believe that you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective product, call us at 954-767-6500 to schedule a free consultation with a defective parts lawyer in Fort Lauderdale at our firm. Remember that time is of the essence – the sooner you start collecting evidence and filing documents with the court, the better it is for your case.