Irvine Product Liability Lawyer
Irvine Product Liability Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a defective product, you may be able to take legal action to seek compensation and justice. The Irvine product liability lawyers of Easton & Easton advocate on behalf of victims who have been harmed by unsafe or defective products and work to pursue justice and accountability against responsible companies under California law.
Product liability claims typically involve common consumer or industrial goods that injure users because they are not reasonably safe for their intended purpose. As a result, product liability cases often involve serious harm and require a complex understanding of both legal and technical issues.
Hire a Product Liability Lawyer
Easton & Easton is a California personal injury law firm whose lawyers have over 100 years of combined litigation experience handling complex injury cases throughout Orange County and California. The firm represents people injured by defective consumer products, tools, machinery, and industrial equipment.
Easton & Easton has been honored by organizations including Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers and is known for its litigation-focused practice that prioritizes preparation, development of evidence, and trial readiness if necessary.
What Qualifies as a Product Liability Claim Under California Law
California product liability law permits an injured consumer to bring a claim when a product is dangerous and causes injury to people, whether or not the product’s manufacturer was careless. California law, as explained by the California Supreme Court, permits what is commonly known as strict product liability.
In general, an injured plaintiff must prove that the product was defective, that it was defective when it left the defendant’s control, and that the defect was a substantial factor in causing injury to the plaintiff.
Under a strict product liability theory, the focus is on whether the product was defective and whether that defect caused injury, without requiring proof that the manufacturer or seller acted negligently. Irvine product liability claims may involve products that are used in Irvine homes, offices, research centers, fitness facilities, and in a wide variety of commercial buildings.
Types of Product Defects That May Support a Claim
Products can be defective even if used as intended. Some design-related defects are introduced during product design and development. Others may be introduced during manufacturing. Products may also be considered defective due to a lack of warnings or inadequate instructions.
Nationally, 15.1 million people are treated each year in US emergency departments for injuries that involve a consumer product. Product-related harm continues to be widespread and serious. In California, when a product defect increases the risk of injury beyond what would be expected by an ordinary consumer, a person injured by the defective product may be able to file a claim based on the product’s design, manufacturing, or labeling.
How Product Liability Claims Are Investigated and Proven
Product liability cases often involve technical investigation and professional review. Evidence might include the actual defective product, engineering analyses, test results, product recalls, warning labels and packaging, as well as internal company documents.
Records of injuries maintained by federal agencies indicate that defective and unsafe products continue to injure consumers in significant numbers across the country every year, particularly when hazards are not remedied or properly disclosed.
In Irvine cases, use of the product at the time of the injury, the clarity of instructions, and the role of environmental conditions or foreseeable uses will also be considered.
How Comparative Fault Can Affect Product Liability Claims
Product liability claims can proceed even in cases where product misuse is in question. California is a comparative fault jurisdiction, so liability can often be apportioned among various tortfeasors as the facts may warrant.
Manufacturers may contend that the conduct of others caused or contributed to the injury, but injured consumers will argue that the product was unreasonably dangerous to use as designed and sold. In assessing these issues, the courts have considered the intended and reasonably foreseeable use of the product and the adequacy of warnings, if any. Comparative fault is not a bar to recovery, but it is a consideration in the evaluation of damages.
FAQs
Do Product Liability Laws Apply to Used or Secondhand Products?
Liability laws for products can cover damages and injuries resulting from secondhand merchandise. If a used product caused an injury, liability may depend on whether the product was sold through a retailer or a private seller, and if the item was defective at the time of sale. The defect must have been present before the product was resold, and the product should not have been altered after it left the control of the manufacturer or distributor.
Can a Product Liability Claim Involve a Recall?
Product recall does not automatically assign liability, but it is admissible evidence in a product liability claim. A recall may signal the existence of known safety hazards, design defects, or manufacturing defects. Although products may remain on shelves without recall orders, this still allows victims to file claims for related injuries.
Does It Matter Where a Defective Product Was Purchased?
Where a defective product was purchased may influence a product liability claim, but it does not necessarily determine where the case can proceed. The Orange County Superior Court may hear a product liability case if the injury occurred within the state or the defendant holds enough connections to Irvine. The court’s venue rules, and it determines location based on the injury site, product sales point, defendant’s residence, or business place.
Can Children’s Product Injuries Support a Product Liability Claim?
Child-related injuries may lead to a product liability claim when the toy or other children’s product is unreasonably dangerous. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that there were an estimated 154,700 children aged 12 and younger treated in US emergency departments for toy-related injuries in 2023.
When a toy’s design, manufacturing defect, or lack of adequate warnings contributes to injury, California law may allow a claim against responsible companies.
Contact an Irvine Product Liability Lawyer
Product liability claims can involve technical evidence, strict legal standards, and hard deadlines. When unsafe or defective products injure you or your family, you can hire a product liability lawyer to defend your claim.
At Easton & Easton, we represent injured consumers across Southern California who have been hurt by dangerous products. Schedule a consultation today.
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Easton & Easton has been recognized by TopVerdict.com Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Settlement in Los Angeles for 2025, for the case Bicyclist v. Inattentive Driver — the fifth time the firm has appeared on a TopVerdict list across nine years, and a recognition that arrives in the firm’s 35th anniversary year.
The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by OC Register Voters as "The Best Law Firm in Orange County” each year since voting began in 2022.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California by the National Trial Lawyers — a membership organization limited to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug, Brian, Matt, Travis and Gabe have each been selected to "Best Lawyers" for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers selects the Top 5% of attorneys based on peer voting and client reviews.
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as the #1 Bicycle Accident Settlement in California in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
Easton & Easton was named a Tier 1 firm in Southern California by U.S. News & World Report — the highest ranking a law firm can achieve. Selection is based on client feedback, peer reputation, and professional excellence. When independent evaluators rank the best, we're at the top.
Travis Easton, Gabe Mendoza, Brenda Kocaj, and Alexandro Garza were selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars — honoring the top 2.5% of attorneys 40 or younger in California.
Easton & Easton was voted "Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" by readers of the Los Angeles Times in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Three years in a row — chosen by the people we serve
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton were once again selected to Super Lawyers — a distinction earned by only 5% of California attorneys. Selection is based on peer nominations, independent research, and professional achievement. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring attorneys in the top 5%.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a Top 10 Personal Injury Settlement in California in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
Easton & Easton received the "People Love Us On Yelp" award in 2016 due to exceptional client satisfaction reviews.Our clients don't just hire us — they recommend us.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 20 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
Brian, Matt, and Travis Easton are lifetime members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — a distinction held by less than 1% of U.S. attorneys. Membership requires securing a verdict or settlement of $2 million or more. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring proven results - because Results Matter.
Doug Easton has held the "AV Preeminent" Rating for over 30 years, and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The AV Preeminent rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, based on the legal profession's oldest peer review rating system — dating back to 1887. When your peers have trusted your ability and integrity for over three decades, that says everything.
We were recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a the #1 Personal Injury Settlement in Los Angeles County in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a proven track record of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board. Membership isn't given — it's earned in the courtroom.
Travis Easton, Gabe Mendoza, and Brenda Kocaj were selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 — an invitation-only honor recognizing the nation's top young trial attorneys. At Easton & Easton, experience and ambition work side by side.
Easton & Easton was honored for securing a $20,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2019 by TopVerdict.com.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 — based on skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews. A perfect score. No room for higher.
Easton & Easton was honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018-2020 (each year the voting took place).
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2016 by TopVerdict.com.
Awards/recognitions noted are from organizations recognized within the legal profession as bona fide.
No purchase was required for selection. Selection methodologies available upon request.
“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”
Partner W. Douglas Easton
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