Faulty and defective products result in injuries to thousands of people every year. Kline & Specter attorneys have handled complex, investigative-based litigation and lawsuits involving everything from defective BB guns to a popular model pick-up truck (White, Bobb) to vaginal mesh products (McFarland, Mesigian) and pharmaceuticals such as Risperdal and transvaginal mesh. Overall, our law firm has the most large verdicts in the United States, having obtained four of the top 100 nationally in 2019.
Nine vaginal mesh cases have so far produced verdicts totaling more than $347 million against Johnson & Johnson. And, most recently, the firm won an $8 billion punitive damages verdict against J&J in a case involving Risperdal, an anti-psychotic drug linked to the growth of female breast tissue in boys. That verdict was the largest in Pennsylvania history.
In the Ford case, Specter won a $153 million verdict, including compensatory and punitive damages in a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. The verdict was the second-largest product liability verdict in U.S. history at the time. A later trial in the case yielded a $52 million verdict.
Kline & Specter was named the No. 1 Product Liability Law Firm in the United States for 2011-2012 by Best Lawyers, a designation which was announced in U.S. News & World Report. Kline & Specter previously had been named in the “Tier 1” group – the top classification – for Product Liability, one of only 35 firms across the nation selected for that distinction.
His young son was killed by a Ford truck with a defective parking brake. The case went to a $153 million verdict, a $52 million punitive damages jury award on retrial and ultimately a confidential settlement.
The firm, based in Philadelphia, has also gone to court in cases involving a number of products, including unsafe motorcycle helmets (Wandel) and medical devices (Dalkon). The firm in 2019 won verdicts of $80 million and $120 million against J&J subsidiary Ethicon Inc. over vaginal mesh products that caused injuries to women surgically implanted with the devices. Earlier, Tom Kline doggedly pursued a case (Blum) against drug manufacturer Merrell Dow over 16 years.
Kline & Specter has handled a wide range of product liability litigation – with cases including a defective cafeteria table (Cozzolino), a hazardous escalator (Hall v. SEPTA). It litigates some product liability cases on a Mass Tort basis, including: pharmaceuticals such as Vioxx, in which the firm was a leader in the $4.85 billion lawsuit settlement; medical products and devices such as denture creams, transvaginal mesh implants and defective pacemakers and defibrillators; and dangerous toys and child products such as cribs, strollers and baby slings.
With AUTOMOBILE cases, among problem products are those involving defective airbags, lap belts and parking brakes and vehicles prone to rollovers, such as SUVs and 15-passenger vans.
Tom Kline and Shanin Specter have been selected among the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers by Expert Guides, publisher of guides to internationally recognized attorneys.
Schedule a Review of Your Product Liability Case
Kline & Specter PC, a Philadelphia-based law firm with 50 experienced attorneys, is ready to discuss your case and provide representation if you need it. Call us at 800-243-1100 to speak with an experienced mesothelioma attorney or complete an online contact form and our office will be in touch with you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Common Law on Product Liability?
When a product is defective and results in injury, product liability law holds manufacturers, designers and sellers of the product accountable for these injuries.
How Do You Prove a Product Liability Case?
To prove a product liability case, three things are required. They are:
- Proof the product was defective
- Injury or death
- Proof that your injury was a result of the defect
Attorneys will need to prove these three elements to insure your product claim is successful.
Who Is Held Liable for Product Liability?
Parties involved in the making and distribution of the defective product can be held liable for product liability. These parties can include the designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer.
What Is the Burden of Proof for Product Liability?
For product liability cases, our lawyers will have to prove the existence of a defect and provide proof or evidence of the resulting injury or death caused by the defective product. Call for a free consultation about your case today!