Defective household appliances Cases

Defective Space Heaters and House Fires: Who Is Liable for the Damage?, Defective household appliances

A space heater that catches fire is not just a bad product. It is a serious legal problem. Space heaters cause thousands of house fires every year...

11 days ago Read More

Defective Clothes Dryer Heating Elements and Fire Liability, Defective household appliances

Your clothes dryer spins wet laundry without a second thought. But when a hidden flaw in its heating element ignites lint or fabric, the resulting...

14 days ago Read More

Defective Space Heater Fires: Who Pays for the Damage?, Defective household appliances

A space heater that catches fire in your living room can destroy your home in minutes. If that heater had a flaw that caused the fire, you do not...

15 days ago Read More

Defective Toaster Ovens: Who Pays When Your Kitchen Catches Fire?, Defective household appliances

Every year, thousands of homes suffer property damage because a toaster oven malfunctioned. You plug it in, set the timer, and walk away. Then you...

3 months ago Read More

Clothes Dryer Fires and Product Liability: Who Pays When a Defective Thermostat Torches Your Home, Defective household appliances

Every year, thousands of American families lose their homes to fires that start inside their clothes dryers. The most common culprit is not lint...

4 months ago Read More

Recalled Space Heaters: When Cheap Design Burns Consumers, Defective household appliances

Every winter, millions of Americans plug in space heaters to warm a cold room without cranking up the whole house’s thermostat. These devices seem...

7 months ago Read More

Lithium-Ion Battery Fires: When a Household Product Becomes a Legal Liability, Defective household appliances

Every year, thousands of house fires start with something you have in your pocket, your laptop bag, or plugged into the wall. Lithium-ion batteries...

7 months ago Read More

The Hidden Danger: Why Missing Tip-Over Warnings on Furniture Lead to Liability, Defective household appliances

Every year, emergency rooms treat thousands of children for injuries caused by furniture and televisions tipping over onto them. A dresser, a...

8 months ago Read More

When a Missing Warning Costs Lives: The Case of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Defective household appliances

You buy a new electric scooter for your daily commute. The box is slick, the instructions are minimal, and there is no mention of what happens if you...

9 months ago Read More

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common liability case queries.

What is comparative negligence, and how does it affect a claim?

Comparative negligence reduces a plaintiff’s compensation if they are partly at fault for their own injury. In most states, if you are found to be 50% responsible for an accident, your financial award is reduced by 50%. Some states bar recovery if you are 51% or more at fault. This system aims to assign financial responsibility fairly based on each party’s share of the blame. It requires the court or jury to assign a precise percentage of fault to everyone involved in the incident.

Can someone be sued for injuries caused by a building code violation?

Yes, absolutely. If a person is injured because a property violated a building code, the property owner is often automatically considered negligent in a lawsuit. For example, if someone falls because a handrail was built too low, violating code, the owner is likely liable. This “negligence per se” doctrine makes the code violation powerful evidence. The injured party can sue for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

What happens after a government agency cites a violation?

After a citation, the employer typically receives a fine and a deadline to fix the problem. They must correct the violation and prove it to the agency. The employer can also contest the citation if they disagree. Repeated or willful violations lead to much larger fines and increased scrutiny. In severe cases, or if an uncorrected violation leads to serious injury, criminal charges against the company or its managers are possible, though less common.

What are the potential consequences if I lose such a case?

If you lose, you can be ordered to pay money to the person you harmed. This compensation aims to cover damage to their reputation, emotional distress, and any lost income. The court can also issue a permanent order forcing you to remove the post and prohibiting you from posting similar statements. In extreme cases involving deliberate lies intended to cause financial harm, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the wrongdoer.