Practice Areas · Injuries
Product Liability
San Diego Injuries
Product Liability in San Diego
Companies that design, manufacture, and sell products have a responsibility to make them reasonably safe. When a defective product injures someone, Joseph C. Crudo PLC helps that person hold the responsible company accountable and pursue compensation.
Product liability lets an injured consumer bring a claim against the manufacturers and sellers of a product that caused harm, injury, or death when it was used as intended. The goal is to make the responsible company pay for the harm its product caused.
California product liability law can hold the parties who design, manufacture, or sell a defective product strictly liable for the injuries it causes, covering design defects, manufacturing defects, and failure-to-warn defects. You generally do not have to prove the company was careless, only that the product was defective and caused your injury.
2 years
CA filing deadline
Free
Case consultation
$0
Up-front, most cases
Full value
What we pursue
By the Numbers
Product Liability, by the numbers
28.5 million1
Medically treated consumer product-related injuries in the U.S. (2020)
CPSC Injury Cost Model estimate (28,535,000); 3-year moving average (2018-2020) approx. 34.4 million
~50,9001
Consumer product-related deaths in the U.S. (2019)
Related to, not necessarily caused by, consumer products; elderly falls are the largest share
3332
Cooperative (voluntary) product recalls completed by CPSC in FY 2024
166 of the 333 were conducted under the Fast-Track program
3.5 million3
ED-treated consumer product injuries to seniors 65+ (2023)
Up from 3.30 million in 2018; 77% of senior injuries were falls
Do You Have a Case?
Signs you may have a claim
Keep the product and its packaging if you can. It is often the most important evidence in the case.
- ✓Injured by a defective or dangerous product
- ✓The product failed when used as intended
- ✓A design, manufacturing, or warning defect was involved
- ✓Facing medical bills from the injury
The Process
How your case moves forward
Here is how a product liability claim typically proceeds.
- Free consultation
- We review how the product injured you and preserve it as evidence.
- Investigation
- We identify the defect and the companies in the chain of distribution.
- Demand & negotiation
- We pursue full compensation for your injuries and losses.
- Settlement or trial
- We settle for fair value, or file suit when necessary.
Frequently asked
Common questions
Do I have to prove the company was careless?+
Often no. California recognizes strict liability for defective products, so you generally need to show the product was defective and caused your injury, not that the company was negligent.
What counts as a defective product?+
Three main types: a design defect that makes the whole line unsafe, a manufacturing defect in your specific item, and a failure to warn about a known danger. Any of these can support a claim.
Should I keep the product?+
Yes. Do not discard or repair it. The product and its packaging are usually the key evidence, so preserve them and call us.
What does it cost to talk to you?+
Nothing. The consultation is free. Call (858) 622-7280.
Related practice areas
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Consumer Product-Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States: Estimated Injuries Occurring in 2020 and Estimated Deaths Occurring in 2019 (2021). https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/ConsumerProductRelatedInjuriesandDeathsintheUnitedStates.pdf
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 2024 Report to the President and Congress (2024). https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/CPSC-FY24-Annual-Report_0.pdf
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Senior Injuries and Deaths Associated with Consumer Products: 2024 Report (2025). https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Senior-Report-2024-POSTED2.pdf
Get help now
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