Well-Known Product Liability Settlements

When a defective product causes a burn injury, brain injury, spinal cord injury, or wrongful death, the victim or his or her family can pursue compensation for damages. There are many types of cases that fall under the category of product liability, including cases involving dangerous prescription drugs and motor vehicle crashworthiness and design. The following are verdicts and settlements achieved in past product liability cases:

Product liability settlements infographic

$2.86 Million Settlement in Spilled Coffee Accident (August 1994)

A woman obtained a $2.86 million settlement (later reduced to $640,000) when she was burned by a cup of McDonald’s coffee. The victim claimed the coffee was defective since it was too hot for consumption. She suffered third-degree burns on 6 percent of her skin. The jury found her comparatively negligent for her injuries, but awarded her compensatory as well as punitive damages.

$32 Million Settlement in Prescription Drug Defect (April 2006)

The widow of a 71-year-old man was awarded compensation after her husband’s death due to use of the painkiller Vioxx®. The victim had been taking the drug for a month when he died of a heart attack in 2001. In 2004, Merck & Co., the drug’s manufacturer, pulled Vioxx® from the market when research showed that the medication increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. The widow was awarded $32 million in damages, which was later cut to about $7.75 million to conform to state limits on damages.

$38 Million Settlement in Bridge Collapse (May 2008)

Victims of a 2007 bridge collapse in Minnesota obtained a $38 million dollar settlement for their losses. The collapse killed 13 and injured 145. The National Transportation Safety Board has focused its investigation on design flaws that may have caused the collapse.

$43.7 Million Settlement in Motor Vehicle Design Case (April 2005)

In 2003, a man was killed, and his wife maimed, in an accident in their Lincoln Town Car. The couple’s family filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co., alleging that the location of the car’s fuel tank caused the fire that killed the victim. The family obtained a $43.7 million settlement.

Locate a Product Liability Attorney near You

If you have suffered an injury due to use of a faulty or defective product, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. You need aggressive legal representation; use Impact Law to locate a product liability attorney in your area who can help you pursue the compensation to which you are entitled.