Defective Product Lawyers Serving Springfield, Branson, Cape Girardeau, and the Missouri Ozarks

Southwest Missouri’s economy runs on agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and recreation. The equipment that powers all of it (tractors, skid steers, UTVs, forklifts, zero turn mowers, and more) can be dangerous when it is defectively designed or manufactured. And when a product fails and someone is seriously injured, the company responsible should be held accountable. That is exactly what Strong Law, P.C. does.

Our Springfield product liability attorneys have been fighting for injured Missouri families since 1976. With more than $7 billion recovered for clients and 7 nationally acclaimed trial lawyers, we have the resources and the record to take on the largest manufacturers and corporations in the country. If a defective product hurt you or someone you love, call (417) 887-4300 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.

FREE CASE REVIEW  |  (417) 887-4300  |  injury@stronglaw.com  |  No Fee Unless We Win

Why Springfield Injury Victims Choose Strong Law, P.C.

Product liability cases are among the most technically demanding and fiercely defended matters in personal injury law. Manufacturers have engineering teams, internal legal departments, and outside counsel with decades of product defense experience. To win, your attorneys need equal preparation, deeper resources, and greater willingness to go to trial.

Strong Law brings all of that to every product liability case in southwest Missouri.

Our Credentials

• Founded in 1976, with nearly 50 years of proven results for Missouri injury victims
• $7+ billion in verdicts and settlements recovered
• 7 nationally acclaimed trial lawyers
• 99% positive client review rate
• Named to the Inner Circle of Advocates
• Recognized by Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent, Super Lawyers (Top 10 in Missouri), Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year (Best Lawyers), and US News Best Law Firms
• Springfield office at 901 E St Louis St, 18th Floor, serving Springfield, Branson, Cape Girardeau, and the Ozarks

What Is Product Liability?

Product liability is the body of law that holds manufacturers, distributors, and sellers accountable when a defective product causes injury or death. Every company in the product’s chain of distribution, from the original designer to the retailer that put it on the shelf, may bear legal responsibility.

Missouri recognizes three theories of product liability recovery:

Strict Liability

Missouri’s strict liability doctrine is the most powerful tool available to injured plaintiffs. Under strict liability, a manufacturer or seller can be held responsible for a defective product without any need to prove they acted negligently. If the product was in a defective condition that made it unreasonably dangerous when used in a reasonably anticipated way, the responsible party is liable. This doctrine levels the playing field between injured individuals and large corporations, and it is the foundation of most Missouri product liability cases.

Negligence

A negligence-based product liability claim requires showing that someone in the chain of distribution failed to exercise reasonable care. Evidence of negligence can include inadequate safety testing, failure to respond to consumer complaints about a known defect, substandard quality control, or failure to issue a recall after the company became aware of a dangerous condition.

Breach of Warranty

Products carry both express warranties (written or spoken promises about performance or safety) and implied warranties (the baseline legal expectation that a product is fit for its intended purpose). When a product fails those warranties and causes injury, a breach of warranty claim may be pursued alongside strict liability and negligence theories to strengthen the recovery.

The Three Types of Product Defects

Product liability cases are built around identifying and proving which type of defect caused the injury. The three types are:

Design Defects

A design defect means the product is inherently dangerous as designed, regardless of how carefully it was manufactured. Every unit produced from that design carries the same danger. A zero turn mower that is unstable on moderate slopes because of its center of gravity, or a UTV with a roll cage that crushes rather than protects during a rollover, are examples of design defects. When a safer alternative design was feasible and the manufacturer chose not to use it, they face liability for every unit ever sold.

Manufacturing Defects

A manufacturing defect occurs when the design is adequate but something went wrong during the production of a specific unit or batch. A tractor that left the factory with a defective PTO shield, a skid steer with a weld failure in the operator protective structure, or a batch of brake fluid contaminated during production are all manufacturing defects. These may affect only a portion of a production run, but the liability principle is the same.

Marketing Defects (Failure to Warn)

A marketing defect (also called failure to warn) exists when a product carries risks that a reasonable user would not be aware of and that the manufacturer failed to adequately disclose through labeling, instructions, or warnings. Farm equipment with undisclosed PTO entanglement risks, power tools with known kickback hazards not mentioned in the manual, or recreational equipment sold for uses that exceed its actual safety margins all involve potential failure-to-warn liability.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Defective Product in Missouri?

Missouri law allows injured victims to pursue claims against every party in the chain of distribution that was involved in bringing the defective product to market. Depending on the facts of your case, liable parties may include:

• The product designer or the engineering firm responsible for the defective design
• The primary manufacturer of the product
• Component part manufacturers whose defective parts contributed to the injury
• Wholesalers and distributors that moved the product through the supply chain
• The retailer or dealer that sold the product
• An importer, if the product was manufactured outside the United States

Pursuing every party in the distribution chain is important because it maximizes the available insurance and assets to satisfy a judgment and prevents any single defendant from deflecting responsibility onto another. Strong Law conducts a thorough analysis of the full supply chain in every product liability case.

Product Types Strong Law Actively Pursues in Southwest Missouri

Strong Law handles product liability cases across a wide range of consumer, agricultural, industrial, and recreational products. We are currently pursuing cases and developing deep expertise in product categories that are especially relevant to the southwest Missouri and Ozarks region:

Farm Equipment: Tractors, Combines, and Brush Hogs

Missouri is home to thousands of working farms, and agricultural equipment defects cause some of the most catastrophic injuries in the state. Tractors without adequate rollover protection structures (ROPS), brush hogs with defective or absent blade guards, combines with inadequate entanglement protection around rotating components, and hydraulic systems that fail unexpectedly are all documented defect patterns. Strong Law actively pursues farm equipment product liability cases throughout southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, where agricultural operations are a fundamental part of the economy.

Skid Steers and Compact Track Loaders

Skid steer loaders are widely used in construction, landscaping, and agriculture throughout the Ozarks region. Manufacturers including Bobcat, CNH (Case and New Holland), John Deere, and Caterpillar have faced claims involving inadequate operator protective structures, deficient backup alarms, unstable load management, and door latch failures that allow operators to be ejected during tip-overs. These machines are involved in a disproportionate share of serious operator injuries in Missouri’s construction and agricultural sectors.

Zero Turn Mowers

Zero turn mowers are ubiquitous in southwest Missouri, used by homeowners, landscaping companies, and property managers across the Ozarks. Rollover incidents on hillsides, operator presence control failures, and blade contact injuries are recurring defect patterns with serious injury potential. Strong Law is actively building expertise in zero turn mower product liability and is seeking cases involving injuries from all major manufacturers.

UTVs and Side-by-Sides

Polaris and other UTV manufacturers have sold enormous numbers of utility terrain vehicles into Missouri’s recreational and working landscape. Documented defect issues in various models include inadequate roll cage strength, heat shield failures causing fires, deficient seatbelt systems, and stability problems on terrain that the vehicles are marketed for. The Ozarks riding culture means UTV injuries are a significant and growing product liability issue in this region.

ATVs

All-terrain vehicle defects, including rollover protection failures, throttle control malfunctions, and stability deficiencies on terrain for which the vehicle is marketed, cause serious injuries and deaths in Missouri every year. Many ATV injury cases involve younger riders, and manufacturers’ choices about design and marketing for age-appropriate use are frequently central to the liability analysis.

Forklifts and Industrial Lift Equipment

Forklifts are a leading cause of serious workplace injury in Missouri’s manufacturing and distribution sectors. Defects in stability systems, mast assemblies, overhead guard structures, hydraulic controls, and operator visibility equipment contribute to tip-over, falling load, and crush injuries. Product liability claims against forklift manufacturers can proceed alongside workers’ compensation claims and may result in substantially greater total recovery.

Aerial Work Platforms

Scissor lifts, boom lifts, and articulating platforms are used throughout construction and facility maintenance operations across southwest Missouri. Defects in outrigger systems, guardrail integrity, stability controls, and platform load limits contribute to serious fall and tip-over injuries. Strong Law handles cases involving all major aerial work platform manufacturers.

Automobiles and Automotive Safety Systems

Vehicle product liability claims involve defects in airbag systems, seatback structures, crash avoidance technology, tire performance, and fuel system integrity, among others. Missouri’s highway network, including I-44, US-60, and US-65, sees serious vehicle crash injuries where defective safety systems contribute to outcomes that should have been preventable.

Consumer Products and Household Goods

Strong Law also handles defective consumer product cases across household appliances, power tools, children’s products, furniture, and electrical equipment. If a product injured you in your home, at work, or anywhere else, we want to hear about it.

What Compensation Can You Recover in a Product Liability Case?

Missouri law allows victims of defective products to pursue full compensation for all losses the defective product caused. Depending on your case, recoverable damages may include:

Economic Damages

• Medical expenses, past and future, including emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and ongoing care
• Lost wages for income you could not earn while recovering
• Loss of future earning capacity if your injuries affect your long-term ability to work
• Property damage
• Out-of-pocket expenses related to your injury and recovery

Non-Economic Damages

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and psychological harm
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Permanent disfigurement or disability
• Loss of consortium

Punitive Damages

When a manufacturer acted with deliberate disregard for consumer safety, such as concealing known defects, suppressing internal safety data, or choosing to avoid a recall despite documented injuries, punitive damages may be available to punish the wrongdoer and deter others. Product liability cases are among the most common contexts in which significant punitive damage awards are obtained.

Call (417) 887-4300 or email injury@stronglaw.com for a free case evaluation.

What to Do After a Defective Product Injury in Missouri

The steps you take after a product injures you can have a major impact on your ability to recover compensation. The most important things to do are:

• Get medical attention immediately. Your health is the priority, and early medical documentation establishes the connection between your injury and the product.
• Preserve the product. This is the most critical step. Do not discard it, attempt to repair it, or return it to the seller or manufacturer. Store it in a safe place exactly as it was at the time of the injury. The physical product is often the most important piece of evidence in the entire case.
• Keep all packaging, instructions, and warnings. The original documentation that came with the product is critical evidence.
• Photograph everything. Take photos of the product, the scene, and your injuries as soon as possible.
• Get witness information. If anyone saw what happened, write down their names and contact information.
• Do not contact the manufacturer. Let Strong Law handle all communications with the company.
• Stay off social media. Defense teams routinely monitor claimants’ accounts.
• Call Strong Law at (417) 887-4300 as soon as possible. The earlier we begin, the more evidence we can preserve.

How Strong Law Builds a Product Liability Case

Winning a product liability case requires technical expertise, thorough discovery, and the willingness to go to trial if the manufacturer refuses a fair settlement. Strong Law brings all three.

After you retain us, our work typically includes:

• Securing the physical product for expert inspection before it can be altered or destroyed
• Retaining qualified engineering and safety experts to analyze the defect and prepare testimony
• Conducting discovery into the manufacturer’s internal design history, safety testing records, consumer complaint files, and any prior litigation involving the same product or defect pattern
• Researching recall databases, CPSC and OSHA records, and other regulatory filings for prior government notice of the defect
• Identifying and pursuing every party in the chain of distribution
• Documenting the full scope of your injuries and long-term prognosis through medical expert testimony
• Calculating the complete value of your economic and non-economic damages before any demand is made

Large manufacturers defend product liability cases aggressively because the financial stakes, including the risk of punitive damages and multi-plaintiff litigation, are very high. Strong Law prepares to match that intensity in every case we take. We are never a firm that settles under pressure for less than a case is worth.

Missouri’s Filing Deadline for Product Liability Claims

In most Missouri product liability cases, you have five years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. However, important exceptions apply. Wrongful death claims have a three-year deadline. Cases involving government entities may have notice requirements as short as 90 days. Cases involving latent injuries, where the connection between the product and the injury was not immediately apparent, may be governed by the discovery rule, which starts the clock when you knew or reasonably should have known about the link.

Regardless of the applicable deadline, waiting to contact a product liability attorney creates real risks. Products are repaired or destroyed. Corporate document retention schedules result in destruction of internal communications. Expert witnesses become harder to secure. Contact Strong Law as soon as possible after any product-related injury.

Do not wait. Call (417) 887-4300 today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions: Product Liability Cases in Springfield and Southwest Missouri

Does my claim qualify as a product liability case?

If a product’s defect, whether in its design, its manufacturing, or its labeling, caused or contributed to your injury, you may have a product liability claim. The product does not have to be brand new, and you do not have to be the original purchaser. Call Strong Law for a free evaluation of your specific situation.

What if I was using the product in a slightly different way than instructed?

Missouri strict liability applies when a product is used in a reasonably anticipated way. If your use was foreseeable by the manufacturer, even if it was not exactly as instructed, you may still have a valid claim. Many product liability cases involve uses that manufacturers anticipated but failed to design or warn for safely.

Can I still pursue a claim if the product has been recalled?

Yes, and a recall actually strengthens your case. A recall is evidence that the manufacturer or a regulatory agency recognized the product as defective. If you were injured by a recalled product, contact us immediately.

I was hurt by a piece of equipment at work. Can I pursue a product liability claim?

Yes, in many cases. Workers’ compensation covers workplace injuries but does not prevent a separate product liability claim against the manufacturer of defective equipment. This is especially relevant in southwest Missouri, where farm equipment, construction machinery, and industrial equipment cause a significant share of serious workplace injuries. You may be entitled to both workers’ compensation benefits and product liability compensation.

What if other people have been hurt by the same product?

Multiple victims from the same defect may support a class action or mass tort approach. Strong Law handles both individual product liability cases and multi-plaintiff litigation. If you know of others injured by the same product, share that information with us, as it can be valuable to your case strategy.

What does it cost to hire Strong Law?

Nothing upfront. We handle all product liability cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney’s fees unless and until we recover compensation for you. Your first consultation is always free.

Serving Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas

Our Springfield office handles product liability cases throughout the region, including:

• Springfield, MO and Greene County
• Branson, MO and Taney County
• Cape Girardeau, MO and surrounding communities
• The Missouri Ozarks, including Christian County, Stone County, and Nixa
• Joplin and Jasper County
• Northwest Arkansas, including Rogers, Bentonville, Bella Vista, and Fayetteville
• Statewide Missouri cases involving farm equipment, industrial machinery, and commercial products

Product liability cases often involve manufacturers with operations across the country. Strong Law is prepared to pursue your case wherever it leads. Call us if you are unsure whether we can help.

Talk to a Springfield Product Liability Attorney Today

When a company puts a defective product into the market and that product seriously hurts someone, they should be held accountable. Strong Law, P.C. has been doing exactly that in Missouri for nearly 50 years. Our Springfield attorneys understand the products that are most relevant to this region: the agriculture, the construction, the recreation. We know how to build the cases that hold manufacturers responsible.

$7+ billion recovered. 7 nationally acclaimed trial lawyers. 99% positive reviews. No fee unless we win.

Call Strong Law, P.C. at (417) 887-4300  |  injury@stronglaw.com  |  901 E St Louis St, 18th Floor, Springfield, MO 65806

Strong Law, P.C.  |  stronglaw.com  |  Founded 1976  |  $7+ Billion Recovered