Your Rights When Defective Products Cause Catastrophic Harm

Product Liability Lawyers Who Take On Massive Manufacturers — And Win

If you’ve been seriously injured by defective offshore equipment, faulty industrial machinery, or dangerous auto parts, you’re facing multinational corporations with unlimited resources to defend themselves. But you have rights, and LKSA has the elite trial experience and financial resources to fight for you and win.

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If a Defective Product Has Harmed You: What You Need to Know Right Now

We interact with thousands of products every day, from the vehicles we drive to the heavy machinery we operate on the job. We place an implicit trust in the multinational corporations that design and manufacture these products, expecting them to prioritize safety over profit margins. When a manufacturer cuts corners on design, uses substandard materials in production, or fails to warn users of deadly risks, the results are catastrophic.

Products liability cases are essentially “David vs. Goliath” battles. Major manufacturers and their insurance companies employ armies of defense attorneys to deny liability, blame the victim, or bury the evidence. At Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson, LLC (LKSA), our experienced trial lawyers have the financial resources, technical knowledge, and relentless drive to hold the world’s largest manufacturers accountable for the harm they cause.

You trusted the equipment on your job site. You trusted the vehicle you were driving. You trusted that the manufacturer tested their product thoroughly and warned you of all the risks.

That trust was broken.

Every year, thousands of Americans suffer catastrophic injuries or lose their lives because manufacturers:

  • Rush products to market without adequate testing
  • Hide known dangers from workers and consumers
  • Exploit regulatory loopholes to avoid safety reviews
  • Put profits ahead of worker and consumer safety
  • Fail to warn about severe, life-threatening defects

If you’ve been harmed, you’re not alone. And you’re not powerless.

At Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson, LLC, we’ve spent decades taking on the biggest industrial equipment manufacturers, auto parts companies, and offshore equipment suppliers in the world. We’ve secured millions for clients who suffered permanent injuries from defective products. We know how these companies operate, how they hide evidence, and how to hold them accountable.

But these cases are complex, expensive, and require immediate action to preserve evidence and protect your rights.

If you or a loved one has been injured by defective equipment or a dangerous product, contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll review your case, explain your rights in plain language, and fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

Quick Facts: Product Liability Claims

What qualifies as a defective product?

  • Offshore cranes, winches, and rigging with structural failures
  • Industrial machinery with inadequate safety guards
  • Defective auto parts (tires, airbags, seatbelts, fuel systems)
  • Faulty safety equipment (harnesses, fall arrest systems, PPE)
  • High-pressure systems with valve or seal failures
  • Power tools with design flaws
  • Consumer products causing fires, explosions, or serious injuries

Common injuries we handle:

  • Amputations from defective machinery
  • Crushing injuries from crane or hoist failures
  • Burn injuries from equipment explosions or fires
  • Traumatic brain injuries from rollover crashes
  • Spinal cord injuries from vehicle structural failures
  • Fatal injuries requiring wrongful death claims
  • Permanent disability from workplace equipment failures

Who can be held liable?

  • Product manufacturers
  • Component part manufacturers (e.g., brake systems, hydraulic parts)
  • Distributors and suppliers
  • Retail sellers
  • Equipment rental companies
  • Maintenance and service companies (in some cases)

What you can recover:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages and earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering
  • Disability and loss of quality of life
  • Wrongful death damages (for families)
  • Punitive damages (to punish reckless conduct)
  • PLUS: Full compensation denied by workers’ comp (if workplace injury)

Time limits:

  • Louisiana: Typically 1 year from discovery of defect
  • Federal maritime law: May extend to 3 years
  • Discovery rule may apply in some cases
  • Evidence disappears fast — contact a lawyer immediately

High-Stakes Industrial, Offshore, and Commercial Failures

LKSA is widely recognized for handling highly complex, catastrophic injury cases involving product failures. While we handle severe consumer product defects, a significant portion of our products liability practice focuses on heavy industry, maritime operations, and automotive failures.

Defective Offshore and Industrial Equipment

In the Gulf of Mexico and on industrial job sites, a single equipment failure can lead to multiple fatalities or life-altering injuries. We represent maritime workers, longshoremen, and industrial employees injured by:

Defective Cranes and Rigging: Catastrophic collapses, snapped cables, and failing hydraulic systems that drop multi-ton loads onto workers below.

Winch and Hoist Failures: Uncontrolled releases or part fracturing under heavy loads, causing crushing injuries and amputations.

Faulty Safety Gear: Defective safety harnesses, fall arrest systems, and inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) that fail at the moment of maximum danger.

High-Pressure System Failures: Defective valves, blowouts, and faulty drilling equipment leading to explosions, fires, and deadly pressure releases.

When equipment fails offshore, determining whether it’s the manufacturer’s fault or the employer’s fault requires immediate investigation. Read our guide on navigating the differences between maritime negligence and third-party product liability.

Defective Auto Parts and Catastrophic Crashes

When a vehicle component fails at highway speeds, the occupants are left defenseless. We investigate severe motor vehicle accidents to determine if a defect caused the crash or worsened the injuries. We pursue manufacturers for:

Tire Defects: Tread separation and blowouts leading to rollover accidents, often at highway speeds when drivers have no time to react.

Airbag Failures: Failure to deploy in a collision, premature deployment without impact, or the deployment of deadly metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

Seatbelt Failures: Unlatching during an impact or failing to properly secure the occupant, turning a survivable crash into a fatal ejection.

Structural Defects: Roof crushes in rollover accidents that cause traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage, or fuel system defects leading to post-crash fires and burn injuries.

Dangerous Consumer and Commercial Products

We also hold corporations accountable when everyday products cause severe harm, including:

  • Defective lithium-ion batteries in tools, vehicles, and devices that explode or cause catastrophic fires
  • Dangerous power tools with inadequate safety guards or design flaws
  • Flammable children’s products and clothing
  • Defective appliances causing electrocution, burns, or fires

Note: For cases involving dangerous pharmaceuticals, defective surgical implants, or pelvic mesh, please visit our dedicated Drug & Medical Device Litigation page.

The Three Types of Product Defects (And How We Prove Them)

Under products liability law, a manufacturer or distributor can be held strictly liable if their product was unreasonably dangerous. To win your case, our legal team will work to prove one or more of the following types of defects:

1. Design Defects: Dangerous From the Start

What this means: The product was inherently dangerous from its very inception. Even if it was assembled perfectly, the underlying blueprint or engineering design was flawed, making every single unit dangerous.

Examples:

  • SUVs with dangerously high centers of gravity prone to rollovers during normal lane changes
  • Industrial saws with blade guards that interfere with normal operation, encouraging removal
  • Offshore cranes with weight distribution flaws causing tip-overs under rated loads

How we prove it:

  • Expert testimony from biomechanical, mechanical, and structural engineers showing safer alternative designs existed
  • Testing and computer simulations demonstrating the fundamental flaw
  • Evidence the manufacturer knew of design problems but released the product anyway
  • Industry standards showing the design violated accepted safety practices

2. Manufacturing Defects: Something Went Wrong in Production

What this means: The overall design was safe, but something went wrong during the construction of the specific product that injured you. This could involve using substandard materials, a machine error on the assembly line, or poor quality control.

Examples:

  • Steel cables manufactured with impurities that weaken the metal, causing catastrophic failure under rated loads
  • Auto parts with microscopic cracks from production errors
  • Hydraulic systems assembled with wrong-sized O-rings causing pressure failures

How we prove it:

  • Metallurgists and materials scientists who analyze the specific product under electron microscopes
  • Manufacturing records showing quality control failures
  • Evidence of other injuries from the same batch/lot number
  • Expert testimony proving the defect existed when it left the manufacturer

3. Failure to Warn (Marketing Defects): Hidden Dangers

What this means: The product had hidden, non-obvious dangers that the manufacturer knew about (or should have known about), but they failed to provide adequate safety warnings or instructions to the user.

Examples:

  • Industrial machinery with known kickback dangers but no warning labels
  • Safety harnesses with load limits that aren’t prominently displayed
  • Auto tires with tread separation risks but inadequate inflation warnings

How we prove it:

  • Internal company documents showing they KNEW about the dangers
  • Comparison to warnings provided in other countries (often more comprehensive)
  • Expert testimony about what warnings SHOULD have been given
  • Evidence the company marketed the product for uses not recommended
  • Industry standards showing inadequate warnings

How We Build Winning Cases Against Manufacturers

You cannot win a complex products liability case with legal arguments alone; you must prove the science behind the failure. Manufacturers will claim the product was altered, poorly maintained, or that the victim used it incorrectly.

Defeating these defenses requires an elite network of experts and substantial financial backing.

Investigation & Expert Development

We retain world-class engineers, metallurgists, materials scientists, accident reconstructionists, and economic analysts to prove your case. Expert costs alone can exceed $150,000-300,000 per case.

Our expert network includes:

World-Class Engineers: Biomechanical, mechanical, and structural engineers who can reverse-engineer a product to expose its fatal flaws through detailed analysis and testing.

Metallurgists and Materials Scientists: Experts who can analyze sheared metal, snapped cables, or fractured auto parts under electron microscopes to prove manufacturing weaknesses at the molecular level.

Accident Reconstructionists: Specialists who use cutting-edge technology, computer simulations, and physics to demonstrate exactly how the product failure caused the accident and the resulting injuries.

Document Discovery

We fight to obtain internal company emails, safety test results, quality control records, and engineering specifications, often reviewing millions of pages to find the smoking gun documents proving the company knew about the dangers.

Scientific Case Building

Our experts conduct independent testing, analyze incident reports in detail, and create comprehensive reports and demonstrative exhibits for trial.

Evidence Preservation

We immediately issue spoliation letters to preserve the defective product, maintenance records, and all related documentation before companies can destroy or “lose” critical evidence.

Trial Preparation

We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, taking depositions of company executives and engineers, preparing witness testimony, and developing powerful visual presentations. Most cases settle only because we’re fully prepared to win at trial.

Total investment required: $100,000 to $2,000,000+ per case

You pay nothing unless we win. If we lose, we absorb all costs. Most law firms cannot afford to finance cases like this; LKSA can and does.

Injured at Work? Understanding Third-Party Liability Claims

If you were injured by defective equipment while working offshore or on an industrial site, you might assume that Workers’ Compensation or the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) is your only avenue for recovery.

This is a common and costly misconception.

You Can Sue the Manufacturer — Not Just Your Employer

While you generally cannot sue your own employer for a workplace injury, you can file a “third-party liability claim” against the manufacturer of the defective equipment that caused your injury.

Third-Party Claims Provide Full Compensation

A third-party products liability lawsuit allows you to pursue full compensation — including damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and full lost earning capacity — which are explicitly denied under standard workers’ compensation systems.

Workers’ Compensation typically provides:

  • Partial wage replacement (usually 2/3 of average wages)
  • Medical treatment coverage
  • Disability benefits
  • NO pain and suffering
  • NO full lost wages
  • NO loss of enjoyment of life

A Third-Party Products Liability Claim Can Provide:

  • 100% of lost wages (past and future)
  • Pain and suffering damages
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Full lost earning capacity
  • Emotional distress compensation
  • Punitive damages (to punish reckless conduct)

You Can Pursue Both Simultaneously

Our attorneys are highly skilled at identifying these third-party claims to maximize our clients’ financial recovery. You can receive workers’ compensation benefits while simultaneously pursuing a products liability lawsuit against the equipment manufacturer.

Example scenarios where third-party claims apply:

  • Construction worker injured by defective scaffolding manufactured by third party
  • Offshore worker crushed by failing crane made by equipment supplier
  • Delivery driver injured in crash caused by defective tire manufacturer
  • Factory worker loses limb to machinery with inadequate safety guards
  • Longshoreman injured by defective winch or hoist system

Real Clients, Real Results: Holding Manufacturers Accountable

While every case is unique and past results do not guarantee future outcomes, LKSA has recovered significant compensation for clients injured by corporate negligence and defective products.

Our case results demonstrate our ability to take on the world’s largest corporations and win. We have secured multiple seven-figure settlements and verdicts in catastrophic injury cases involving:

  • Defective offshore equipment causing workplace fatalities
  • Industrial machinery failures causing permanent disabilities
  • Auto part defects causing catastrophic crashes
  • Manufacturing defects in safety equipment
  • Design flaws in heavy machinery and industrial tools

These victories include compensation for:

  • Lifetime medical care and monitoring
  • Permanent disability and lost earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering from life-altering injuries
  • Wrongful death damages for grieving families
  • Punitive damages to punish reckless corporate conduct

When we take your products liability case, you can trust that we have the resources, the expertise, and the trial experience to fight for maximum compensation.

View our case results

Common Defenses Manufacturers Use (And How We Counter Them)

Defense #1: “The User Altered or Misused the Product”

What they argue: “The product was safe. The worker removed safety guards. The driver modified the vehicle. This isn’t our fault.”

How we counter:

  • Alterations were foreseeable and common in the industry
  • Safety guards interfered with normal operation (design defect)
  • Product should have been designed to prevent dangerous alterations
  • Expert testimony proving the defect existed regardless of alterations
  • Evidence other users had same problems with unaltered products

Defense #2: “Poor Maintenance Caused the Failure”

What they argue: “The equipment wasn’t properly maintained. The owner didn’t follow our service schedule.”

How we counter:

  • Maintenance records showing proper servicing
  • Expert testimony proving failure would have occurred regardless
  • Design flaws that made proper maintenance impossible
  • Inadequate maintenance instructions from manufacturer
  • The product failed well before expected service intervals

Defense #3: “We Provided Adequate Warnings”

What they argue: “We warned users about the risks. It’s in the manual.”

How we counter:

  • Warnings were buried in technical manuals workers never see
  • More prominent warnings existed in other countries
  • Internal documents show they knew warnings were inadequate
  • Warnings were added only after injuries occurred (reactive, not proactive)
  • Industry standards required more conspicuous warnings

Defense #4: “The Product Met Industry Standards”

What they argue: “This product complied with all industry standards and regulations.”

How we counter:

  • Industry standards are minimum requirements, not maximum safety
  • Standards lag behind known safety technology
  • Company participated in setting weak industry standards
  • Other manufacturers exceeded these standards with safer designs
  • Product was unreasonably dangerous even if it met standards

Defense #5: “The Injuries Aren’t That Severe”

What they argue: “The plaintiff exaggerates. They can still work. Their life isn’t ruined.”

How we counter:

  • Independent medical examinations
  • Life care planning showing lifetime costs
  • Testimony from family about changed quality of life
  • Economic experts calculating true lost earning capacity
  • Before/after evidence of dramatic life changes
  • Day-in-the-life videos showing disability impact

Defense #6: “Someone Else Is Responsible”

What they argue: “The employer is at fault. The installer is at fault. Not us.”

How we counter:

  • Product defect was the substantial factor in causing injury
  • Multiple parties can share liability
  • We sue all potentially liable parties
  • Even if others contributed, manufacturer still liable for defective product
  • Comparative fault doesn’t eliminate manufacturer’s responsibility

Warning Signs: When Should You Contact a Lawyer?

Contact a product liability attorney immediately if:

For Workplace Injuries:

  • You were injured by equipment manufactured by a company other than your employer
  • The equipment failed during normal, expected use
  • Safety features failed to engage when needed
  • You’ve heard of similar accidents with the same equipment
  • Your employer says “this has never happened before”
  • The manufacturer has issued a recall (even after your injury)
  • Workers’ compensation isn’t covering your full losses

For Auto Accidents:

  • The crash occurred when a part failed (tire blowout, brake failure, steering loss)
  • Airbags failed to deploy or deployed unexpectedly
  • The vehicle caught fire after the crash
  • The roof collapsed in a rollover
  • Seatbelts failed or released during impact
  • You were driving normally when the failure occurred
  • There’s been a recall on your vehicle’s components

For All Cases:

  • The product broke, shattered, or collapsed under conditions it was designed to withstand
  • Multiple people have been injured by the same product
  • The manufacturer has contacted you about the product
  • You’re facing additional surgeries or permanent disability
  • Your quality of life has been permanently affected
  • You’ve been told “this doesn’t usually happen”

Don’t wait for a recall announcement. Companies often know about problems years before they issue recalls.

Critical: Evidence in product defect cases disappears rapidly. Broken equipment is often “lost,” discarded, or repaired by the company before it can be examined. Immediate legal intervention is essential to issue spoliation letters and secure the defective item.

Common Questions About Product Liability Cases

No, in most cases.

Products liability is a “strict liability” legal theory. You must prove that (1) the product was defective and unreasonably dangerous, (2) the defect existed when the product left the manufacturer’s control, and (3) the defect caused your injuries. You do not need to prove the manufacturer was careless or made a mistake.

You may still recover damages.

In most states, including Louisiana, you can recover even if you were partially at fault. However, your recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were 20% at fault and the defective product was 80% at fault, your damages would be reduced by 20%. An experienced attorney can help minimize any fault attributed to you.

Yes.

You do not need to have purchased the product new. Products liability law protects all users who are injured by defective products, regardless of whether they bought it new, received it as a gift, or purchased it used. The key is proving the defect existed when it left the manufacturer.

You still have third-party rights.

While you cannot sue your employer, you can sue the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of the defective equipment. This third-party claim runs parallel to your workers’ compensation claim and provides much greater damages.

Time limits vary:

  • Louisiana: Typically 1 year from discovery of the defect
  • Federal maritime law: Often 3 years
  • Other states: Varies by jurisdiction

Discovery rule: The clock usually starts when you knew or should have known the product was defective.

Missing these deadlines means losing your right to compensation forever. Contact an attorney immediately.

You may still have options.

Manufacturers often carry product liability insurance that remains in effect even after the company closes. Additionally, other parties in the chain of distribution — such as distributors, wholesalers, component manufacturers, or retailers — can also be held liable. An attorney can identify all potentially liable parties.

Every case is different, but we consider:

Economic damages:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages and earning capacity
  • Cost of revision surgeries or ongoing treatment
  • Life care planning costs

Non-economic damages:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Disability and disfigurement
  • Loss of consortium (for spouses)

Punitive damages (in cases of reckless conduct):

  • To punish willful misconduct
  • To deter future dangerous behavior
  • Typically multiples of compensatory damages

Settlements and verdicts we’ve achieved range from hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on injury severity.

Most cases settle before trial.

But we prepare every case as if it will go to trial because:

  • Defendants only offer fair settlements if they fear trial
  • Our trial reputation forces better settlement offers
  • We have extensive experience trying complex product cases
  • You always have final decision on whether to settle or go to trial

We’ll advise you on settlement vs. trial, but the decision is always yours.

You can afford us.

We work on contingency fee:

  • No upfront costs
  • No hourly fees
  • No out-of-pocket expenses
  • We advance all case costs (experts, investigation, testing)
  • We only get paid if we win
  • Our fee is a percentage of your recovery
  • If we lose, you owe us nothing

Product liability cases cost hundreds of thousands to litigate. We shoulder this burden so you don’t have to.

Act Now: Time Limits Apply to Product Liability Claims

Statutes of limitations vary by state and case type:

General rules:

  • Louisiana: 1 year from discovery of defect (some exceptions apply)
  • Federal maritime law: May extend to 3 years for Jones Act and general maritime claims
  • Discovery rule: Clock starts when you knew or should have known the product caused your injury

BUT many cases have shorter deadlines than you think:

  • Evidence disappears over time (equipment repaired or destroyed)
  • Witnesses’ memories fade
  • Medical records become harder to obtain
  • Companies destroy documents after retention periods expire
  • Spoliation of evidence makes cases harder to win

If you suspect a defective product harmed you, contact us immediately for a free case evaluation.

What Makes LKSA Different in Product Liability Cases

Taking on industrial equipment manufacturers, auto parts companies, and offshore equipment suppliers requires more than just legal knowledge — it requires resources, expertise, and trial experience that most firms simply don’t have.

What Sets LKSA Apart:

✓ 40+ Years of Complex Product Litigation Experience
✓ Proven Track Record in High-Stakes Cases Against Major Manufacturers
✓ Elite Network of Expert Engineers and Specialists
✓ Financial Resources to Invest $100K-$2M Per Case
✓ Trial Experience That Forces Maximum Settlements
✓ Dual Expertise in Products Liability AND Maritime Law
✓ Compassionate Client Service Throughout the Process

Most personal injury firms cannot handle these cases. Manufacturers know this and use it against injured workers.

You need a firm with:

  • The financial resources to invest hundreds of thousands in expert witnesses and testing
  • The technical expertise to prove complex engineering defects
  • The trial experience to take on multinational corporations
  • The track record of winning against the world’s largest manufacturers

We understand both general products liability AND federal maritime law — a rare combination that’s critical for offshore workers injured by defective equipment. These cases often involve complex jurisdictional issues requiring expertise in both areas.

We handle third-party claims seamlessly, coordinating workers’ compensation benefits with products liability lawsuits to maximize your total recovery while protecting your right to ongoing medical care.

Don’t Let Negligent Manufacturers Get Away With It. Fight Back with LKSA.

Industrial equipment manufacturers and auto parts companies have unlimited resources to defend themselves. But when defective products cause catastrophic harm, they must be held accountable.

Contact us today for a free consultation. No fees unless we win.

Get Your Free Product Liability Case Review Now