Product Liability

Holding Manufacturers Accountable in Texas

Texas consumers deserve safe products that work as advertised. When manufacturers, distributors, or retailers put dangerous or defective products on the market, innocent people get hurt. From exploding electronics to contaminated food, faulty auto parts to dangerous medications, defective products cause thousands of injuries across Texas each year. AskLitigation helps victims understand their rights and pursue justice against negligent companies.

Understanding Product Liability in Texas

Product liability law in Texas allows injured consumers to hold manufacturers and sellers responsible when defective products cause harm. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 82, companies can be liable for manufacturing defects, design defects, or failures to provide adequate warnings about known risks.

Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule, meaning you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault, as long as your fault doesn’t exceed 50%. This gives consumers strong protection when seeking compensation for injuries caused by dangerous products.

Types of Product Defects

Texas law recognizes three main categories of product defects:

Manufacturing Defects: Products that deviate from their intended design during production. Examples include contaminated food products, improperly assembled machinery, or electronics with faulty wiring.

Design Defects: Products that are inherently dangerous due to flawed design, even when manufactured correctly. This might include unstable furniture that tips over easily or vehicles with design flaws that make them prone to rollovers.

Warning Defects: Products that lack adequate instructions or warnings about known risks. Manufacturers must warn consumers about foreseeable dangers that aren’t obvious, such as side effects of medications or proper safety procedures for power tools.

Texas Product Liability Laws

Several key provisions govern product liability cases in Texas:

Strict Liability: Manufacturers can be held liable regardless of negligence if their product is unreasonably dangerous and causes injury during normal use.

Statute of Limitations: Generally two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit, with some exceptions for latent injuries that don’t appear immediately.

Damage Caps: Unlike some areas of law, Texas doesn’t cap economic damages in product liability cases, allowing full recovery for medical expenses and lost wages.

Punitive Damages: Available in cases involving gross negligence or malicious conduct, though subject to statutory caps in most situations.

Common Defective Products in Texas

Texas sees product liability cases involving many types of consumer goods:

Automotive Products: Defective airbags, faulty brake systems, tire defects, and recalled auto parts that cause accidents and injuries.

Electronics: Overheating batteries, electrical fires, and devices that shock users or emit dangerous radiation.

Children’s Products: Unsafe toys with choking hazards, cribs that collapse, and car seats that fail in crashes.

Household Items: Appliances that catch fire, furniture that tips over, and cleaning products with inadequate warning labels.

Medical Devices: Implants that fail prematurely, devices with design flaws, and equipment that malfunctions during use.

Building Your Case

Successful product liability claims require establishing that the product was defective and that the defect caused your injury. This often involves:

Preserving the defective product as evidence, obtaining medical documentation of your injuries, gathering receipts and product documentation, identifying all parties in the supply chain, and consulting with expert witnesses who can explain how the product failed.

Texas courts often require expert testimony to establish design defects or to explain complex manufacturing processes. Having experienced legal representation ensures your case is properly investigated and presented.

Compensation for Product Injuries

Texas product liability law allows victims to recover comprehensive damages including:

Economic Damages: Medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. These damages aren’t capped and can include both past and future losses.

Non-Economic Damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and other intangible harms. While generally unlimited in product cases, specific circumstances may affect calculations.

Punitive Damages: In cases involving particularly reckless behavior by manufacturers, courts may award punitive damages to punish wrongdoers and deter similar conduct.

Why Texas Cases Matter

Product liability cases don’t just compensate individual victims—they protect all consumers by forcing companies to improve safety standards. When manufacturers face significant financial consequences for releasing dangerous products, they invest more in safety testing and quality control.

Texas’s consumer-friendly laws and experienced legal community make it an important venue for holding negligent companies accountable. Many cases result in product recalls, design changes, or improved warning labels that protect future consumers.

Time Is Critical

Texas’s statute of limitations requires action within two years of discovering your injury. Evidence can disappear quickly, especially if products are recalled or discontinued. Companies often work aggressively to minimize liability and may destroy documents if not preserved through legal action.

The sooner you contact an attorney, the better your chances of building a strong case. Early investigation allows for proper evidence preservation and expert consultation while memories are fresh and witnesses are available.

Get Help Today

If you’ve been injured by a dangerous or defective product in Texas, don’t let negligent companies escape accountability. AskLitigation connects you with experienced product liability attorneys who understand Texas law and have the resources to take on major corporations. Contact us today for a free consultation about your case.

Types of Product Liability We Handle in Texas: