Defective Product Lawyers Serving St. Louis, Columbia, St. Charles, and All of Missouri

When a product fails and someone is seriously hurt, the company that designed, made, or sold it should be held accountable. Product liability cases pit injured individuals against some of the largest manufacturers and corporations in the world. These companies have experienced legal teams, substantial resources, and a powerful interest in avoiding responsibility. At Strong Law, P.C., we match them and beat them.

Our St. Louis product liability attorneys have been taking on defective product cases since 1976. With more than $7 billion recovered for clients and 7 nationally acclaimed trial lawyers, we have the depth and the track record to go up against the largest corporations in the country. If a defective product injured you or someone you love, call us at (314) 940-8300 for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we win.

FREE CASE REVIEW  |  (314) 940-8300  |  injury@stronglaw.com  |  No Fee Unless We Win

Why Strong Law, P.C. for Your Product Liability Case

Product liability litigation is among the most demanding and resource-intensive areas of personal injury law. Proving that a product was defectively designed, negligently manufactured, or inadequately marketed requires expert testimony, engineering analysis, access to internal corporate documents, and the willingness to try the case when a corporation refuses to pay fairly.

Strong Law brings all of that. We are not a firm that settles cheap to avoid the courtroom. We prepare every product liability case for trial from day one, and that preparation is what forces corporations to take our clients seriously.

Our Credentials

• Founded in 1976, with over 45 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
• St. Louis office at 5100 Daggett Ave STE B, serving St. Louis, Columbia, and St. Charles

What Is Product Liability?

Product liability is the area of law that holds companies accountable when a defective or dangerous product injures or kills someone. Any party in the chain of distribution, from the original designer to the manufacturer to the wholesaler to the retailer, may be held liable if a defective product causes harm.

Missouri law recognizes three distinct theories of product liability recovery:

Strict Liability

Under Missouri’s strict liability doctrine, a manufacturer or seller can be held responsible for injuries caused by a defective product without any need to prove negligence. 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 is the most powerful theory available to injured plaintiffs and is the foundation of most Missouri product liability cases.

Negligence

A product liability claim based on negligence requires showing that the manufacturer, designer, or seller failed to exercise reasonable care in creating, testing, or marketing the product. Evidence of negligence can include failure to conduct adequate safety testing, ignoring known defects, cutting corners on quality control, or failing to act on consumer complaints about dangerous conditions.

Breach of Warranty

Products come with express warranties (written or verbal promises about the product’s performance) and implied warranties (the legal assumption that a product is reasonably fit for its intended purpose). When a product fails to meet these warranties and causes injury, a breach of warranty claim may be available alongside strict liability and negligence theories.

The Three Types of Product Defects

Every product liability case involves at least one of three types of defects. Understanding which type applies to your situation is an important part of building a winning case.

Design Defects

A design defect exists when the product is inherently dangerous as designed, even when manufactured perfectly. The danger is built into the blueprint itself. A classic example is a vehicle with a roof structure that collapses under rollover forces that the manufacturer could have anticipated. If the design is unreasonably dangerous and a safer alternative design was feasible, the manufacturer faces liability for every unit ever produced from that design.

Manufacturing Defects

A manufacturing defect occurs when the design is sound but something went wrong during production, creating a product that deviates from the intended design in a way that makes it dangerous. A batch of brake components manufactured with substandard materials, a weld that was not completed properly, or contamination during the production of a food or drug are all manufacturing defects. Unlike design defects, manufacturing defects typically affect only a portion of the product run rather than every unit.

Marketing Defects (Failure to Warn)

A marketing defect (also called a failure to warn) exists when a product carries risks that are not adequately communicated to the user through labeling, instructions, or warnings. A manufacturer has a duty to warn of known or reasonably knowable risks associated with the product’s use. If a power tool has a serious kickback risk that the manufacturer failed to disclose, or a medication carries side effects that were not properly warned of, the manufacturer may face liability for injuries that adequate warnings could have prevented.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Defective Product?

One of the most important aspects of product liability law is that liability can extend to every company in the chain of distribution. You do not need to sue only the original manufacturer. Depending on the facts, liable parties may include:

• The product designer or engineering firm that created the defective design
• The manufacturer that produced the product, including any company that manufactured defective component parts
• The wholesaler or distributor that moved the product through the supply chain
• The retailer that sold the product to you or the person who gave it to you
• An importer, if the product was manufactured overseas and brought into the US market
• A franchisor or licensor, if a licensed brand or product specification contributed to the defect

Identifying every potentially liable party matters for two reasons. First, it maximizes the pool of available insurance coverage and assets to satisfy a judgment. Second, it prevents any one defendant from escaping responsibility by pointing fingers at another party. Strong Law conducts a thorough chain-of-distribution analysis in every product liability case.

Product Types We Actively Pursue at Strong Law

Strong Law handles product liability cases across a wide range of consumer, industrial, and commercial products. We are currently pursuing cases and developing specialized expertise in the following product categories:

Skid Steers and Compact Track Loaders

Skid steer loaders from manufacturers including Bobcat, CNH (Case and New Holland), John Deere, and Caterpillar are among the most dangerous pieces of construction and agricultural equipment in regular use. Common defects include inadequate operator protective structures, deficient backup alarms and cameras, unstable load management systems, and door latching mechanisms that fail to keep operators inside the cab during tip-overs. These machines kill and seriously injure dozens of workers every year across Missouri and the country.

Zero Turn Mowers

Zero turn mowers have become one of the highest-volume residential and commercial outdoor power products in the country, and the injury data has not kept pace with the safety improvements these machines require. Rollover incidents on slopes, blade contact injuries, and failure of operator presence controls are common defect patterns. Strong Law is actively seeking zero turn mower cases and building expertise in this underserved product liability area.

Forklifts and Industrial Lift Equipment

Forklift accidents are a leading cause of serious workplace injury nationwide. Defects in stability systems, mast and carriage failures, inadequate operator visibility, defective overhead guard structures, and malfunctioning hydraulic systems all contribute to serious crush, tip-over, and falling load injuries. Both industrial employers and the forklift manufacturers themselves may bear liability depending on the nature of the defect.

Automobiles and Automotive Safety Systems

Automotive product liability encompasses a wide range of defects, including failures in crash avoidance systems (including lane departure and automatic emergency braking), airbag deployment failures (including Takata airbag inflator defects), seatback collapse during rear-end impacts, roof crush in rollovers, and defective tire performance. These cases often involve large manufacturers with sophisticated defense teams, and they require product liability attorneys with the resources and experience to take them on.

Aerial Work Platforms

Scissor lifts, boom lifts, articulating boom lifts, and telescopic work platforms are used extensively in construction, facility maintenance, and industrial settings throughout Missouri. Defects in stability controls, guardrail systems, outrigger mechanisms, and platform load limits contribute to falls, tip-overs, and entrapment injuries that are frequently catastrophic. Strong Law handles cases involving all major aerial work platform manufacturers.

UTVs and Side-by-Sides

Utility terrain vehicles, particularly those manufactured by Polaris, have a well-documented history of defect-related injuries including roll-cage failures, heat shield and fire defects, seatbelt system inadequacies, and stability issues on terrain for which the vehicles are marketed. Missouri’s recreational riding culture means UTV injuries are a significant and growing area of product liability litigation in this state.

ATVs

All-terrain vehicle defects, including stability deficiencies, roll-over protection failures, and throttle control malfunctions, continue to cause serious injuries and deaths across Missouri. Many ATV cases involve young riders, and manufacturers’ marketing and design choices regarding age-appropriate products are frequently central to the liability analysis.

Farm Equipment

Missouri is a significant agricultural state, and farm equipment defects are a serious and sometimes overlooked source of catastrophic injury. Tractors, combines, brush hogs, and related equipment can have defective PTO shields, inadequate rollover protection structures (ROPS), deficient guarding around moving parts, and hydraulic system failures that cause severe crush, entanglement, and rollover injuries. Strong Law pursues farm equipment defect cases throughout Missouri and northwest Arkansas.

Aviation Products

Aviation product liability cases involve defective aircraft components, avionics systems, engine parts, and flight control mechanisms. These cases are highly technical and require attorneys with the resources to retain specialized aviation engineering experts. Strong Law handles aviation product liability claims and has the depth to pursue them against manufacturers and component suppliers.

Consumer Products, Appliances, and Household Goods

Beyond industrial and recreational equipment, Strong Law handles defective consumer product cases across categories including power tools, household appliances, children’s products, furniture, and electrical equipment. If a product injured you in your home, at work, or elsewhere, 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 caused by the defective product. Recoverable damages in a product liability case may include:

Economic Damages

• Medical expenses, past and future, including emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and long-term or ongoing care
• Lost wages for income you were unable to earn while recovering from your injuries
• Loss of future earning capacity if your injuries limit or prevent you from returning to your career
• Damaged or destroyed property
• Out-of-pocket expenses related to the injury and your recovery

Non-Economic Damages

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and psychological harm
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement or permanent disability
• Loss of consortium

Punitive Damages

In cases where a manufacturer or distributor acted with deliberate disregard for consumer safety, such as concealing known defects, destroying internal safety reports, or choosing not to issue a recall despite documented injuries, punitive damages may be available. These damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer and send a message to the industry. Product liability cases are one of the most common contexts in which punitive damages are pursued and won.

Call (314) 940-8300 or email injury@stronglaw.com for a free case evaluation.

What to Do After a Defective Product Injury

If a product injured you, the steps you take in the aftermath can significantly affect the strength of your legal case. The most important ones are:

• Seek medical attention immediately. Your health is the first priority, and early medical documentation creates a direct record linking the injury to the product.
• Preserve the product. Do not throw it away, attempt to repair it, or return it to the manufacturer or retailer. The physical product is often the single most important piece of evidence in a defective product case. Store it in a safe place exactly as it was when the injury occurred.
• Preserve all packaging, instructions, and warnings. The original packaging and any documentation that came with the product are critical evidence.
• Document the scene and your injuries. Photograph the product, the scene of the injury, and your injuries as soon as possible.
• Identify witnesses. If anyone saw the incident, get their contact information.
• Do not contact the manufacturer directly. Anything you say to the company can be used against you. Let Strong Law handle all communications.
• Do not post about the incident on social media. Defense teams routinely monitor the social media accounts of claimants.
• Contact Strong Law as soon as possible. Call (314) 940-8300. The earlier we begin, the more evidence we can preserve and analyze.

How Strong Law Builds a Product Liability Case

Product liability cases are won or lost on the quality of the technical evidence and the credibility of the expert testimony. Strong Law approaches every case with a rigorous, evidence-first methodology.

After you retain us, our investigation typically involves:

• Securing and preserving the physical product for expert inspection before any further degradation or alteration occurs
• Retaining qualified engineering and product safety experts to analyze the defect and prepare testimony
• Conducting detailed discovery into the manufacturer’s design history, internal safety testing, consumer complaint records, and any prior litigation involving the same product or defect
• Researching recall databases, regulatory filings with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), OSHA records, and other government databases for prior notice of the defect
• Identifying all parties in the chain of distribution and pursuing claims against each
• Documenting the full scope of your injuries, your medical treatment, and your long-term prognosis through medical expert testimony
• Calculating the total economic and non-economic value of your damages before any settlement demand is made

Product liability defendants spend enormous resources defending these cases because the financial stakes, including the potential for class actions and punitive damages, are very high. Strong Law prepares accordingly. We do not make demands until we are ready to go to trial if the answer is no.

Missouri’s Filing Deadline for Product Liability Claims

Missouri generally provides five years from the date of injury to file a product liability lawsuit. However, several important exceptions can shorten this window significantly.

If the injury involves a wrongful death, the statute of limitations is three years. If a government entity played a role, notice requirements may be as short as 90 days. In cases involving latent injuries, such as occupational exposure to a toxic substance, the discovery rule may start the clock at the time you discovered or reasonably should have discovered the link between your injury and the product.

Regardless of the applicable deadline, waiting creates serious risks. Products are repaired, discarded, or altered. Corporate document retention policies result in the destruction of internal communications and testing records. Expert witnesses become harder to retain as time passes. Contact Strong Law as soon as possible after any product-related injury.

Do not wait. Call (314) 940-8300 today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions: Product Liability Cases in Missouri

Do I have a case if I was not using the product exactly as instructed?

Possibly. Missouri strict liability law applies when a product is used in a reasonably anticipated way, which does not mean exactly as instructed. If your use was foreseeable by the manufacturer, even if it deviated somewhat from the instructions, you may still have a valid claim. The key question is whether your use was something a reasonable manufacturer should have anticipated and designed or warned against.

The product I was injured by has been recalled. Does that help my case?

Yes, significantly. A recall is an admission by the manufacturer or a finding by a regulatory agency that the product has a safety defect. It is powerful evidence in a product liability case and often accelerates resolution. If you were injured by a recalled product, contact us immediately.

What if the product is no longer available or has been thrown away?

Losing the physical product makes the case harder, but not necessarily impossible. Photographs, medical records, witness testimony, and expert analysis of comparable products can still support a strong claim. If you still have the product, do not discard it under any circumstances. Call us before making any decisions about it.

Can I file a product liability claim if I was injured at work?

Yes, in many cases. Workers’ compensation covers workplace injuries, but it does not bar a separate product liability claim against the manufacturer of defective equipment. Many of the product categories Strong Law focuses on, including forklifts, skid steers, aerial work platforms, and farm equipment, cause injuries in employment settings. You may be entitled to compensation from both workers’ compensation and a product liability lawsuit.

What if others have been injured by the same product?

Cases involving multiple victims from the same defect may qualify for class action status or can be pursued as part of a mass tort. Strong Law handles both individual product liability cases and multi-plaintiff litigation. If you are aware of others injured by the same product, that information is valuable and may affect the strategy for your case.

How much is my product liability case worth?

Case value depends on the severity of your injuries, the total cost of your medical care, your lost income, the nature of the defect, whether punitive damages are available, and the financial strength of the defendant. Product liability cases involving catastrophic injuries and clear corporate wrongdoing can result in very substantial recoveries. The most accurate way to understand your case’s value is a free consultation with one of our St. Louis product liability attorneys.

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 consultation is always free.

Serving St. Louis and All of Missouri

Our St. Louis office handles product liability cases throughout Missouri and beyond, including:

• St. Louis City and St. Louis County
• Columbia, MO
• St. Charles, MO
• The greater St. Louis metropolitan area
• Statewide Missouri product liability cases involving industrial equipment, farm equipment, and commercial products

Product liability cases frequently involve companies with nationwide operations, and our attorneys are prepared to pursue claims wherever the evidence leads. If you are unsure whether we can help, call us. Consultations are free.

Talk to a St. Louis Product Liability Attorney Today

A defective product injury is not something you should have to absorb on your own. The company that put a dangerous product into the market knew, or should have known, what it could do to someone. Strong Law, P.C. has been holding those companies accountable for nearly 50 years.

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

Call Strong Law, P.C. at (314) 940-8300  |  injury@stronglaw.com  |  5100 Daggett Ave STE B, St. Louis, MO 63110

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