Product liability laws apply to manufactured products that are either defective or inherently dangerous. Consumer products must be properly designed, manufactured, tested, and labeled for safe use. However, when products fail to meet these standards and cause injury or death, victims and their families may be entitled to compensation.
At The Carroll Law Firm, our product liability attorneys serve victims in Houston, Dallas, and all of Texas. We have years of experience handling asbestos and benzene exposure cases. Additionally, our attorneys, based in Dallas, have the resources and knowledge to successfully litigate all types of product liability cases for their clients, including claims involving design flaws, manufacturing defects, improper testing, and marketing misrepresentation.
Despite early evidence that asbestos could cause a number of serious health problems, including an extremely deadly type of cancer known as mesothelioma, the widespread manufacture of products containing asbestos continued until the 1970s, when government laws began strictly regulating its use. In 1989, the government banned all new uses of asbestos, although uses established prior to the ban are still permitted. In all, more than 5,000 products contain or have contained asbestos, including ceiling and floor tile, heat and fire resistant fabrics, brake linings for automobiles, roofing and siding materials, and more.
Victims of asbestos-related diseases may be entitled to compensation for their injuries because many manufacturers were aware of the risks associated with asbestos but failed to properly warn or protect their employees and consumers. Individuals throughout Texas can rely on the asbestos attorneys at The Carroll Law Firm to expertly and aggressively fight for their rights. Our record of successful verdicts is a tribute to our skill. For example, in June 2004, Clay Carroll assisted Ron Eddins in obtaining a $10 million jury verdict against Ford Motor Company in Brazoria County, Texas, the largest reported verdict in the history of asbestos litigation for a household mesothelioma victim.
Benzene, a clear, flammable liquid, is typically used in or to manufacture degreasers, solvents, and household products like cleaning supplies. It is also found in gasoline and cigarette smoke. Benzene is considered one of the 20 most dangerous carcinogens in the United States, and long term exposure to it is linked to many serious health conditions, including leukemia, lung cancer, and anemia. Although the use of benzene is now carefully regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Health & Safety Association, in the past, many chemical manufacturers were aware of the health risks associated with benzene exposure but failed to adequately inform and protect their employees.
Because diseases related to benzene exposure can have a long latency period, even individuals who no longer work with the chemical are at risk for developing serious health problems. Victims and their families can turn to the experienced benzene attorneys in Dallas, Texas at The Carroll Law Firm for dedicated, knowledgeable legal assistance.
Although we expect medications to improve our health, dangerous or defective drugs sometimes do the exact opposite. Injuries caused by unsafe medical treatments can be particularly harmful to unsuspecting consumers, so drug manufactures need to be held liable when they produce a medication that fails to meet specific requirements for safety and effectiveness. To learn more about this complex area of product liability, visit our defective drugs page, which includes information on Bextra®, Vioxx®, Celebrex®, and many other dangerous drugs and medical treatments.
In 1974, the Environmental Protection Agency established the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect the quality of drinking water in the United States. Similarly, in 1977 the Clean Water Act went into effect to further protect our supply of this precious natural resource. These acts establish standards of purity and regulate the release of pollutants into our water supply. However, water contamination still poses a serious threat to the health of American consumers. In recent years, the gasoline additive MTBE has been the focus of public attention as it was revealed to be a source of contamination in the water supplies of communities in at least 36 states. Because there is evidence that oil refiners and manufacturers were aware of the environmental risks of MTBE, it is possible to hold these companies liable for this dangerous product.
Many people suffer injuries caused by manufacturing or design defects in everyday household products. Although manufacturers are required to meet certain safety standards as outlined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, hundreds of products are recalled each year due to safety concerns. Faulty materials or parts can make common products like electrical appliances and tools unreasonably dangerous, resulting in avoidable injuries or even wrongful death. If you have been injured by a defective product, it is important to seek the advice of an experienced attorney, so that the responsible parties can be identified and held liable for their mistakes.
Design or manufacturing defects in heavy equipment and industrial machinery can pose a serious threat to both the machine’s operators and individuals in the vicinity. Thousands of avoidable accidents and injuries are caused each year due to dangerous or defective heavy equipment and industrial machinery. Additionally, injuries resulting from defects in these types of products are often catastrophic, involving severe personal injury such as paralysis or even wrongful death. If you or a family member has been injured as a result of defects in heavy equipment or other industrial machinery, contacting an experienced product liability attorney is an important step toward ensuring the protection of your rights.
Child car seats and air bags are two safety features that are designed to keep passengers safe and protect them in the event of an accident. Defects in design or manufacture, however, can make these and other safety features useless or even cause greater harm to passengers during an accident. Manufacturers who produce defective auto safety products, including child car seats, air bags, seat belts, roll bars and side impact bars, can be held legally responsible for injuries that result.
Rollovers are among the most dangerous vehicle accidents. By nature of design, some vehicles simply have a greater likelihood of rolling over. For example, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which were originally intended for off-road use, now have the highest rate of rollover due to their high center of gravity and narrow track width. In recent years, SUVs have become increasingly popular among mainstream consumers; however, automobile manufacturers have failed to completely inform drivers of the rollover risks while at the same time removing protective safety features like roll bars. For these reasons, manufacturers may be held liable in the event of a rollover accident that causes injury to a consumer.
More than 120,000 children aged 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for toy-related injuries. Along with the standards set for all product manufacturers by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, toy manufacturers must also adhere to the Child Safety Protection Act. Among other requirements, this act calls for warning labels on products that pose a choking hazard, one of the most common sources of injury for young children. Unfortunately, this and many other avoidable toy-related injuries continue to occur due to design flaws, manufacturing defects, inadequate testing, or the improper marketing of these children’s products.
To learn more about our Texas asbestos, benzene, and product liability attorneys, residents in Houston, Dallas, and throughout the state can contact the personal injury lawyers at The Carroll Law Firm. In addition to our experience handling product liability cases, we are forerunners in personal injury law, including paralysis and wrongful death claims; defective drugs litigation, including Celebrex®, Vioxx®, and Bextra® cases; and family law matters, such as divorce, child support, and child custody hearings.
Individuals throughout Texas who have been injured as a result of asbestos or benzene exposure or general product liability should contact our attorneys serving Houston and Dallas, Texas to discuss their case.
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