Product Liability

Locke Lord product liability lawyers have years of experience and the ability to provide strategic and comprehensive services, including defending product liability cases, supervising nationwide litigation and providing advice to avoid future claims.

Whether the case involves a complex mechanical or electrical product, food product, chemical, pharmaceutical or medical device, our product liability trial lawyers understand our clients' products and become intimately involved in the details of a product's design, manufacture, distribution, marketing and labeling. We are skilled forensic investigators with respect to the scientific, engineering and practical aspects of a client's products and well versed in disease physiology and trauma biomechanics to understand how and why disease, injury or death occurs.

Locke Lord represents small and large manufacturers in a variety of industries, including:

• Automotive
• Aviation/maritime/transportation
• Construction products
• Food and beverage
• Industrial products
• Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
• Recreational products

We have worked with and advised manufacturers on product recalls involving the following:

• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Federal Trade Commission
• U.S. Coast Guard

Because of our extensive experience, we can help prevent or reduce product liability claims by consulting with product designers on product quality control, document retention and accident investigation techniques. We draft and evaluate product instructions and owner manuals, warning labels, product literature, supply chain contracts, distributorship and licensing agreements and warranty documents. We also advise manufacturers, insurance companies and industry trade associations on case management and strategy, document retention, information gathering and quality control.

National Coordinating Counsel
Locke Lord's extensive experience acting as national coordinating counsel in product liability cases provides value-added service to our clients. We bring the right people and resources to bear on key issues and become involved with all aspects of a client's product. We work quickly to protect clients' interests and assess the product design, documents and witnesses, then coordinate discovery, retain experts and develop effective case strategies.

We have synergistic, long-standing relationships with local firms in every area of the country through decades of serving as national coordinating counsel for several domestic and international clients. Nationally consistent positions and strategies are essential to effective business and litigation management, and we believe hiring the best available counsel in each forum is essential.

Toxic Tort
Locke Lord was extensively involved in assessing and litigating toxic tort matters well before the term "toxic tort" came into widespread use. Our lawyers represent clients in high-profile cases involving natural and man-made disasters, chemical exposures and environmental contamination.

We were involved in many of the seminal decisions concerning the issues that now surface routinely in toxic tort cases.

Our product liability lawyers routinely handle the following toxic tort claims:

• Mold
• Asbestos
• Silica
• Vinyl chloride
• Benzene
• Perchloroethylene (“Perc”)
• Dioxin