Products Liability Lawyer Near Me
If you are searching for a products liability lawyer near me location, you are likely dealing with an injury caused by a defective product. These claims often involve pain, stress, and expensive medical care that most people are not prepared for.
Putnam Lieb Potvin Dailey was founded in 1980. We have been helping people recover fair compensation for their injuries in Olympia, Thurston County, and South Puget Sound for decades. Our personal injury attorneys in Olympia, WA are dedicated to advocating for your best interests. Contact a products liability lawyer from Putnam Lieb Potvin Dailey to find out how our firm can help you fight back after harm from unsafe appliances, drugs, or consumer products.
Common Defective Product Claims Handled by Product Liability Lawyers in Olympia, WA
Defective product claims usually involve one of three problems: poor design, something going wrong during manufacturing, or a lack of proper warnings.
These issues can lead to serious injuries in places where people least expect them, including their own homes, workplaces, or vehicles. Under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) § 7.72.030, manufacturers can be held accountable when their products cause harm.
Defective Auto Parts, Airbags, and Brake Systems
When a car part fails, the result can be life-changing. Defective brakes, malfunctioning airbags, and faulty steering systems are just a few examples of vehicle issues that cause devastating accidents. Sometimes, the crash itself is just the beginning. The real problem starts when the investigation reveals that the car should never have been on the road in the first place.
These cases often overlap with car accident claims, but the focus shifts from the driver to the company that built or supplied the defective part. Your personal injury attorney can look at crash data, recall records, and repair history to determine if someone other than the driver was responsible. This kind of review can uncover product liability claims that most people never knew they had.
Unsafe Consumer Products and Appliances
Not every dangerous product is complicated. Something as simple as a space heater, coffee maker, or children’s toy can cause major injuries if it is not designed, manufactured, or tested correctly. We have seen cases involving severe burns, electrocutions, and home fires caused by everyday household items that failed under normal use.
As a consumer in South Puget Sound, you have every right to expect that the products you buy are safe. That includes clear instructions, proper labels, and basic safety features. When a product misses the mark, your products liability attorney helps clients hold manufacturers accountable and pursue compensation for the harm that should have been prevented.
Dangerous Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices
Medical product recalls happen more often than many people realize. Some involve prescription drugs with hidden side effects. Others involve devices like implants, surgical mesh, or insulin pumps that were not properly tested before being sold. These products can cause serious complications, long recovery times, and unexpected health risks.
Even when a product is recalled, people in Thurston County still have the right to file a civil claim. A recall may fix the company’s image, but it does not take care of your injuries or medical bills. Our local product liability lawyers in Olympia, WA investigate what went wrong and help you recover damages for pain, lost wages, and the trust that was broken.
Industrial Equipment and Tools Causing Workplace Injuries
Heavy-duty tools and industrial equipment are designed to make hard jobs easier, but when they malfunction, the results can be devastating. We have represented workers who were injured by defective saws, cranes, forklifts, and agricultural machines. In many of these cases, the safety guard failed, or the machine malfunctioned during normal operation.
While some of these injuries are covered by workers’ compensation, not all of them stop there. If the product itself was defective, there may be a claim against the manufacturer. Our product liability attorneys in Olympia, WA help injured workers figure out whether their injury was just a workplace accident or something that should have never happened in the first place.
How Product Liability Attorneys Near Me Can Evaluate the Strength of a Case
Not every injury caused by a product automatically leads to a claim. Courts in Washington look closely at the facts before allowing a case to move forward. Our team evaluates each situation carefully to determine whether you have a strong claim under RCW § 4.22.015, which allows fault to be shared among multiple parties. Here are a few things we look at when reviewing your case:
- Proof that the product directly caused your injury
- Medical records and timelines for building a solid personal injury case
- Photos or physical evidence showing the damage or failure
- Documentation showing how you used the product
- Whether the product had proper warnings or safety instructions
- Any official recalls linked to the product
- Online reviews or reports of similar problems
- Whether the manufacturer responded to previous complaints
- Witnesses who can confirm how the injury happened
When you are dealing with the aftermath of a serious injury, you need someone who can look at every piece of the story. We connect the dots between how the product was made, how it failed, and what could have been done to prevent it. That is what helps us show the court that the manufacturer, not the user, was responsible for what happened.
How Products Liability Attorneys in Olympia, WA Investigate and Prove Fault
Strong product liability claims are not built on guesswork. They are built on clear evidence, expert analysis, and real documentation that connects the injury to the product. Our products liability lawyers in Olympia, WA work behind the scenes to piece together the timeline, trace the defect, and show why the company responsible should be held accountable.
Documenting the Injury and Proving Causation
One of the first things we do is gather every available piece of medical evidence that connects your injury to the product. That includes imaging, test results, treatment summaries, and statements from your doctor that explain how the injury progressed. Without that foundation, the manufacturer can claim the injury came from somewhere else.
This step is a lot like what we do in slip and fall cases. We look at where the injury happened, how long the symptoms lasted, and what the medical records say about the cause. That connection between product and harm is what gives your case legal weight.
Preserving the Defective Product and Chain of Custody
If the product is still in your possession, do not throw it away or try to fix it. That item is often the most important piece of evidence in your entire case. At Putnam Lieb Potvin Dailey, our products liability attorneys in Olympia, WA work quickly to secure it, store it properly, and get it reviewed by engineers or product safety experts.
Just like in a criminal case, there has to be a clear chain of custody. We track who handles the product, where it is stored, and how it is transported. This attention to detail helps make sure your evidence can be admitted in court and taken seriously by a jury.
Reviewing Product Design and Past Complaints
We also compare your case to those of others across the country. Has this product hurt other people? Was there a pattern of complaints before your injury happened? We review recall databases, engineering reports, and even old patents to see if there is a design flaw or known issue.
Sometimes internal documents are available through legal discovery, and they can tell a very different story from what is in the manual or marketing materials. If product testing was rushed or corners were cut, we use that to show how your injury could have been prevented.
Holding Multiple Defendants Accountable for Harm
Manufacturers are not the only ones responsible when a defective product causes harm. Distributors, wholesalers, and even local retailers can share liability depending on how the product was sold. If you were injured because of a chain of decisions, each party in that chain may be part of the solution.
Products liability lawyers near you understand the business relationships behind the items on store shelves. Our local team in South Puget Sound knows how to follow the trail and hold the right people responsible. That is what makes us the right personal injury lawyer when your case deserves detailed, focused support.
Types of Damages Product Liability Attorneys Commonly Recover
When a product seriously injures you or someone you love, the damage shows up in every part of your life. You are not just dealing with pain or bills. You are juggling doctor visits, lost time at work, and the emotional weight of trying to figure out what happens next.
These cases are about more than paperwork. They are about helping you hold it together while everything else feels like it is falling apart. Here are a few of the economic and non-economic damages we often pursue in these claims:
- Lost wages during treatment and recovery
- Emergency room bills and ambulance costs
- Physical therapy and long-term rehab
- In-home care, medical equipment, and support services
- Prosthetics and mobility devices
- Pain and suffering
- Anxiety, depression, and emotional trauma
- Loss of joy in daily life and routines
- Wrongful death if the product caused a fatal injury
Every case has its own story. Some people are fighting to get back to work. Others are trying to grasp how to live without someone they love. There is no number that can make up for what you have been through, but getting the right support can make a difference in how you move forward. We are here to help with that part.
Product Liability Cases Are Often More Complex Than Other Injury Claims
You might assume that a product liability case works like any other personal injury claim, but the truth is that these cases have more moving parts. It is not just about proving you were hurt. You also have to show that the product was faulty, that it directly caused your injury, and that someone along the supply chain should have caught the problem before it reached you.
Identifying Whether the Product Was Truly Defective
Not every injury caused by a product means the product was defective. Sometimes people get hurt using a product the wrong way, or in situations where the risk was clearly spelled out. What we look for is whether the product failed in an unreasonable way, like a handle snapping, a wire overheating, or a warning label that was missing entirely.
If you were using the product the way anyone would and still ended up hurt, that is where we dig in. We go over how the product was designed, what the instructions said, and whether other people have had similar problems. That is how we start connecting the dots between what happened to you and what went wrong with the product itself.
Dealing With Large Corporations and National Manufacturers
A lot of defective products are sold by companies that are nowhere near Thurston County. When you try to go up against a national manufacturer on your own, it can feel like shouting into a void. They have legal teams, insurance carriers, and entire departments trained to delay, deny, or ignore claims like yours. This is where having products liability lawyers near you makes a real difference.
Proving That the Product Caused the Injury
One of the hardest parts of these cases is proving that the product, not something else, caused your injury. Maybe your symptoms showed up days later. Maybe you were using the product as part of a bigger process, like a piece of equipment on a job site. These cases take careful timing, solid documentation, and the right kind of evidence.
Holding Multiple Defendants Accountable in a Single Case
You might be surprised by how many people are involved in getting a product into your hands. Designers, manufacturers, distributors, and even the store that sells it can all play a role. When something goes wrong, we do not stop at the obvious answer. We look at the entire supply chain to figure out where accountability belongs.
Trust Our Products Liability Lawyer Near Me Law Firm
The Olympia, WA products liability attorneys with Putnam Lieb Potvin Dailey will investigate your claim, gather the right evidence, and walk you through your legal options.
We offer free consultations, weekend emergency appointments, Spanish-speaking legal support, and contingency-based representation. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with experienced products liability lawyers near you. Tell us what happened, and find out whether your case may qualify for compensation.