Overview
Products Liability
At Chamberlain Hrdlicka, our Products Liability team defends manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers across a wide range of industries in high-stakes litigation nationwide involving design, manufacturing, and marketing claims.
Our attorneys combine extensive trial experience with a deep understanding of complex technical and procedural issues to deliver results for our clients. Our team handles all aspects of product liability litigation, from individual personal-injury claims to large-scale multidistrict litigation (MDL) and class actions. Our goal is to protect both our clients’ bottom lines and their reputations, while efficiently achieving favorable outcomes.
Beyond the courtroom, we tailor our approach to align with each client’s objectives. We recognize the high stakes of modern product liability claims, including significant potential damages and reputational risk, and our team stands prepared to respond with strategic, cost-conscious, and results-driven representation. Additionally, our team provides risk management advice and review of insurance programs to assure adequate coverage for our clients’ exposure in today’s global markets.
Core Capabilities:
- Defense of design, manufacturing, and marketing defect claims
- Pharmaceutical and medical device litigation
- Consumer product and child safety matters
- Nationwide and international product recalls
- Expert witness strategy, including technical and scientific specialists
- Motion practice and appellate strategy
- Risk management and product liability prevention counseling
- Insurance coverage evaluation and program design
Representative Matters
- Maritime equipment defense: Obtained a judgment in a federal bench trial as a matter of law in defense of a manufacturer accused of equipment failure aboard a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. (Civil Action No. H-00-0157: Condux S.A. de C.V. v. Ships Machinery International, Inc.: In the Unites States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.)
- HDPE bottle litigation: Secured a full recovery of client losses in a critical burn and fatality case in Texas’ statutory indemnity scheme after defending the manufacturer and distributor at trial. (Civil Action No. 1:06cv0622: Kelly Wales, Individually and Scotty Wales, Individually and as Independent Administrator of the Estate of James Amos Wales v. Alliant Techsystems Inc. d/b/a Alliant Powder; In the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas – Beaumont Division.)
- Tire failure and tread separation claims: Successfully defended tire manufacturers and distributors in catastrophic injury and fatality cases by proving lack of proper maintenance and consumer misuse of product.
- Child safety products: Represented national window shade manufacturer in cord strangulation claims involving minor children. Achieved successful defense outcome by demonstrating manufacturer utilized appropriate warnings and lack of any marketing defect and guided the company through Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) recall discussions.
- Pharmaceutical litigation: Represented a major global pharmaceutical company in litigation involving statin drugs, demonstrating the lack of a causal link between the product and the alleged side effects.
- Medical device defense: Represented a major medical device manufacturer in claims involving synthetic hip replacements, successfully defending against allegations of product failure.