Products Liability

Since the Firm's inception, it has handled product liability litigation in many industries and contexts. We understand the unique issues of law present in product liability litigation, and equally significantly, the strategic concerns in dealing with expert witnesses, proprietary and trade secret issues of our clients, and the important considerations for handling and structuring resolution of these cases if they are not tried.

The following are examples of product liability litigation handled by the Firm:

• The Firm was local counsel for a national law firm in defense of allegations that our client, a national tampon manufacturer, sold a product that caused toxic shock syndrome.
• The Firm represented a national home building products manufacturer and distributor in numerous cases alleging defective products, and has achieved defense verdicts in every case brought to trial against that client.
• The Firm represented a helicopter pilot working on a tuna boat who suffered serious injuries when his helicopter began to shake violently and crashed into the Western Pacific. The Firm pursued a product liability action against the manufacturer, claiming that the main rotor hub assembly was defective, which caused the main rotor blade to depart. The helicopter sank immediately after the crash and was never recovered. The manufacturer argued that the helicopter was not defective, that no blade loss occurred and that our client was solely responsible for the crash. The case was tried in San Diego Superior Court and the jury awarded our client damages in the amount of $2,741,000.
• The Firm represented the tuna boat captain who was a passenger in the same helicopter referenced immediately above. In addition to the award for the pilot, the Firm was able to secure a verdict of $3,036,000 for the captain.
• The Firm has defended several companies related to personal injuries and property damage allegedly caused by asbestos exposure.
• The Firm represented a large manufacturer of boat engines related to personal injuries suffered by an individual who was hit by a propeller.