In 2015, a woman died when robotic equipment crushed her as she was working. Her husband recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the machine manufacturers. According to the suit, as a journeyman maintenance-technician at an automotive supplier the victim frequently worked alongside – and performed routine maintenance on – robotic machinery. Her husband’s suit alleges that the manufacturers failed to design the equipment in such a way to limit the risk of foreseeable injuries, and that his wife lost her life as a result.
Manufacturers are legally obligated to abide by certain health and safety standards, but far too often defective products inflict preventable injuries on unsuspecting individuals. When a person is injured or killed because of a defective or unreasonably unsafe product, they (or surviving family members) may consider filing a products liability claim.
Products liability refers to the area of law in which manufacturers (or others, such as product distributors, retailers, etc.) are held legally responsible for the injuries their products cause. When it comes to products liability cases, injuries can result from a variety of manufacturer failures, such as:
These types of products liability claims –ones that are filed against machine manufacturers, designers, or retailers – are called third-party claims. Third-party claims sometimes allow injured individuals to obtain recoveries larger than what is typically available by filing a workers’ compensation claim.
Tens of thousands of workers are injured or killed because of defective or unsafe machinery in the workplace every year – and the manufacturers need to be held responsible for the unnecessary loss of life and injuries. If you were injured at work by an unsafe product (e.g. industrial equipment like saws, cranes, ladders, scaffolding, etc.) and would like to learn more about filing a products liability claim against the manufacturer or distributor, our attorneys can help. Please contact a representative at our firm directly.
If you have a legal question or concern, please contact our Philadelphia products liability lawyers at Galfand Berger. With offices located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.