You were hurt by a product that should have been safe to use. Now you are trying to recover while also figuring out what caused the product to fail and what your legal options may be. At Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, our San Mateo product liability lawyers help injured individuals throughout the Peninsula hold negligent manufacturers and other responsible parties accountable.
After a serious product-related injury, it is not always clear what caused the failure or who is legally responsible. Manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and other parties may all point fingers at one another while important evidence begins to disappear. You should not have to sort through that process on your own while trying to recover from your injuries.
The condition of the product itself can be one of the most important pieces of evidence in a product liability claim. Before a defective product is repaired, discarded, or returned, speak with an experienced San Mateo product liability attorney. Early action can help preserve critical evidence and protect your ability to pursue the compensation you deserve.
What Counts as a Product Liability Claim
Product liability cases fall into three general categories: a flaw in how a product was designed, a defect introduced during manufacturing, or a failure to warn users about a known risk. Any of these can support a claim, and more than one can apply to the same product. An experienced San Mateo unsafe product attorney begins by determining how and why the product failed. Whether the defect involves the product's design, the manufacturing process, or inadequate warnings, that analysis shapes every step of the claim.
Consumer product injuries are more common than most people expect. Roughly 15 million people were treated in hospital emergency departments in 2024 for injuries tied to consumer products1. Most of those injuries never lead to a legal claim. Often, that's because the injured person assumes the fault was their own rather than a defect in the product itself.
Compensation secured for client who sustained multiple injuries.
Types of Defective Product Cases We Handle
Design and Manufacturing Defects
Product defects generally fall into one of two categories: design defects and manufacturing defects. A manufacturing defect occurs when a product leaves the factory different from its intended design, such as a machine missing a required safety guard. A design defect is different. The product was built exactly as intended, but the design itself was unreasonably dangerous. Our San Mateo manufacturing defect attorneys have handled cases involving industrial machinery with inadequate safety features, tire tread separation, faulty brakes, defective steering components, and other dangerous products.
Dangerous Consumer Products and Recalls
Consumer products found in homes, workplaces, and retail stores can become dangerous because of design flaws, manufacturing errors, or inadequate safety warnings. In some cases, a recall is issued only after people have already been injured. When that happens, the recall may become important evidence because it can show the manufacturer knew, or should have known, about the danger. Our San Mateo consumer product injury lawyers investigate recalled household goods, defective tools, dangerous machinery, and other unsafe products to determine how the defect occurred and who may be responsible.
Defective Medical Devices
Medical device claims often involve some of the most technically complex product liability cases. Injuries may stem from defective pacemakers, defibrillators, joint implants, surgical mesh, or other implanted devices that fail to perform as intended. These claims can involve both product defects and questions surrounding medical treatment, making a thorough investigation especially important. Our San Mateo defective medical device attorneys review FDA recalls, safety communications, engineering records, and other evidence to determine whether a manufacturer placed an unsafe product into the market.
How a San Mateo Product Liability Attorney Proves Your Case
Strict Liability Under California Law
California was the first state to adopt strict products liability, and that standard still shapes how these cases work today. Under the framework set by Barker v. Lull Engineering Co., a product can be found defectively designed if it failed to perform as safely as an ordinary consumer would expect. It can also be found defective if the risks of the design outweigh its benefits2. Strict liability means we generally do not have to prove the manufacturer was careless. We have to prove the product was defective and that the defect caused your injury.
Preserving the Product as Evidence
Here is something most people do not realize until it is too late: the product itself is often the single most important piece of evidence in the case. If it gets repaired, thrown away, or sent back to the manufacturer before an attorney is involved, the claim can be seriously weakened or lost entirely. Manufacturers know this. Their representatives sometimes ask to inspect or take possession of a defective product quickly, before an injured person understands what that request actually means for their case.
Anticipating the Misuse Defense
Manufacturers are expected to anticipate more than perfect, textbook use of their products. People do not always use products exactly as an instruction manual describes, and the law recognizes that reality. The question is whether the use was reasonably foreseeable. If it was, the manufacturer may still be responsible for injuries caused by a defective product. Documenting how the product was being used is often key to answering that question.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Defective Product
Because California applies strict liability across the entire chain of distribution, more than one party can share responsibility. That may include the manufacturer, a component part maker, a distributor, or the retailer that sold the product. Each link in that chain had an opportunity to catch the defect. Each one can be held liable regardless of which party was actually careless.
This matters practically, not just legally. A small retailer's insurance policy may not come close to covering a catastrophic injury, but the manufacturer's policy often will. Identifying every liable party early lets us pursue compensation from whichever defendants can actually satisfy a judgment. We are not limited to whoever happens to be named first. Employers and contractors can also be liable when a workplace injury involves defective equipment, which sometimes overlaps with a workers' compensation claim. When that overlap exists, a product liability claim against the manufacturer can often recover damages a workers' compensation claim alone cannot, such as full pain and suffering.
Compensation Available in a Product Liability Claim
Depending on the severity of the injury, compensation may include current and future medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. It can also include pain and suffering tied to the physical and emotional impact of the injury. Product defect cases involving burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or spinal cord damage often require input from medical and engineering experts. That input helps establish the full lifetime cost of the injury, not just the initial treatment.
In some product liability cases, California law also allows for punitive damages when a manufacturer knew about a defect and sold the product anyway. This is different from most personal injury claims, where compensation is limited to actual losses. Punitive damages exist specifically to punish conduct a jury finds especially reckless, and they can significantly increase the total value of a case where the evidence supports them.
What to Do If a Dangerous Product Hurt You
Keep the product exactly as it was at the time of the injury, including any packaging, instructions, or parts that broke off. Do not attempt to repair it or return it to the store or manufacturer. Photograph the product and your injuries before anything changes.
California generally gives injured people two years from the date of the injury to file a product liability lawsuit3. That deadline runs faster than it feels once you account for the time it takes an attorney to investigate a defect and identify every liable party, so early legal guidance protects your claim.
Documenting the Defect and Your Injury
Save the receipt or any proof of purchase if you still have it, along with the box, manual, and any warning labels. If the product has already been recalled, save a copy of the recall notice too. Seek medical treatment promptly and follow through with the care your provider recommends. Gaps in treatment give insurers and manufacturers an opening to argue your injury was not as serious as claimed, or that something else caused it.
Why San Mateo Residents Choose Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos
Product liability claims are rarely straightforward. They often involve technical evidence, competing expert opinions, and manufacturers with substantial legal and financial resources. Building a successful claim requires more than showing that an injury occurred. It requires identifying how the product failed, preserving critical evidence, and demonstrating that the defect was responsible for the harm.
At Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, we bring more than 75 years of combined legal experience to complex injury litigation. Our team works with engineers, product specialists, medical experts, and other professionals when necessary to investigate defective products and develop strong, evidence-based claims. Whether the case involves a dangerous consumer product, defective machinery, or a faulty medical device, we prepare every claim with the expectation that it may need to be fully proven.
Your initial consultation is free, and we handle product liability claims on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay no attorney's fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Common Questions About Product Liability Claims
How do I know if I have a product liability claim?
Not every product-related injury results in a product liability claim. In general, you may have a case if a product was defectively designed, manufactured incorrectly, or sold without adequate warnings or instructions, and that defect caused your injury. An attorney can review how the incident occurred, evaluate the product, and determine whether the manufacturer or another party may be legally responsible.
What should I do with the product after I am injured?
Do not throw the product away, repair it, or return it to the manufacturer if possible. The product itself is often one of the most important pieces of evidence in a product liability case. Keep the product, any packaging, instruction manuals, receipts, and photographs of the damage in a safe place. Preserving that evidence can be critical to proving how the product failed.
Who can be held responsible for a defective product?
Depending on the circumstances, liability may extend beyond the manufacturer. Designers, parts manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers may all share responsibility if a defective product causes injury. Determining who is legally liable requires investigating how the product was designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold.
How long do I have to file a product liability lawsuit in California?
In most cases, California gives injured individuals two years from the date of the injury to file a product liability lawsuit. However, there are exceptions that can affect this deadline, particularly if the injury was not immediately discovered or another law applies. Speaking with an attorney as soon as possible helps protect your rights and preserve important evidence before it is lost.
Contact Our San Mateo Product Liability Lawyers Today
An injury caused by a defective product is different from most personal injury claims. You are not just dealing with an insurance company. You are often up against a manufacturer with its own legal team and a strong incentive to argue the product was safe. That is not a fight to take on alone.
Our role is to investigate the defect, preserve the evidence, and identify every party who shares responsibility. We build the case while you focus on recovering.
When you are ready to talk about what happened, reach out to our office, and we will walk you through exactly how a product liability claim could work in your situation.
Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, LLP
Address: 411 Borel Ave. #405,San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: (650) 345-8484
Fax: (650) 345-9875