Every year, defective products cause thousands of serious injuries across Michigan. From faulty auto parts on I-94 to dangerous household appliances, contaminated food, defective children's products, and hazardous pharmaceutical drugs, product defects can cause devastating harm. When manufacturers, distributors, or retailers put unsafe products into the hands of consumers in Calhoun County, they must be held accountable.

At Logeman & Iafrate, P.C., we've spent more than 45 years standing up for injury victims throughout Michigan, including Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, and surrounding Calhoun County communities. We have the resources, expertise, and trial experience to take on major manufacturers and their insurance companies.

Types of Product Defects Recognized Under Michigan Law

Michigan recognizes three main categories of product defects:

Design Defects

A product has a design defect when the product's very design makes it unreasonably dangerous, even if it's manufactured exactly as designed. Examples include vehicles with unstable designs that rollover easily, power tools without safety guards, and electronic devices prone to overheating and catching fire. To prove a design defect, we typically work with engineering and industry experts who can demonstrate that a safer, cost-effective alternative design existed at the time the product was made.

Manufacturing Defects

Manufacturing defects occur when a product departs from its intended design during production. These defects affect only some units of a product line, while others may be safe. Examples include contaminated foods, improperly welded components, missing parts, and quality control failures that cause specific products to fail. We trace these defects back to specific production runs, batches, or facilities.

Marketing Defects (Failure to Warn)

Even products that are properly designed and manufactured can be defective if they lack adequate warnings about known risks. Pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, chemicals, and consumer products must include warnings about foreseeable dangers. When manufacturers know—or should know—about serious risks and fail to provide adequate warnings, they can be held liable for injuries.

Common Product Liability Cases We Handle in Calhoun County

• Auto defects. Defective airbags (Takata), ignition switches (GM), seatbelt failures, tire tread separations, brake failures, and electronic stability control malfunctions
• Pharmaceutical drugs. Dangerous side effects, inadequate warnings, drug interactions, and contaminated medications
• Medical devices. Hip and knee implants, surgical mesh, pacemakers, and other devices that fail or cause complications
• Children's products. Defective car seats, cribs, toys with choking hazards, and products containing harmful chemicals
• Household products. Fire-starting appliances, defective heaters, toxic chemicals, and dangerous cleaning products
• Food products. Contaminated foods, foreign objects in food, undisclosed allergens, and food poisoning outbreaks
• Industrial equipment. Defective machinery, power tools without adequate guards, and farm equipment failures

Michigan's Product Liability Statute (MCL 600.2946)

Michigan's product liability statute, MCL 600.2946, establishes the framework for product liability actions in the state. Key provisions include:

• A product is defective when it is not reasonably safe for its intended use
• Manufacturers and sellers can be held liable for injuries caused by defective products
• The statute recognizes claims based on design defects, manufacturing defects, and failure to warn
• The statute of limitations is three years from injury, with a 15-year statute of repose
• The "consumer contemplation test" considers what an ordinary consumer would expect from the product

Senate Bill 410 and Pharmaceutical Immunity

In 2023, Michigan enacted Senate Bill 410, which modified product liability rules for pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. The law provides certain defenses to manufacturers of FDA-approved products but doesn't create absolute immunity. Our attorneys stay current with these evolving rules and understand how they affect your case.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Defective Product?

Michigan's product liability laws allow claims against multiple parties in the distribution chain:

• Manufacturers—the company that designed, assembled, or produced the product
• Component part manufacturers—makers of specific parts that were defective and caused the harm
• Distributors and wholesalers—companies that handled the product between manufacturer and retailer
• Retailers—the store or business that sold the product directly to the consumer
• Lessors—companies that lease or rent products to consumers

We identify all potentially liable parties to maximize your recovery.

Compensation Available for Calhoun County Product Liability Injuries

Victims of defective products can pursue several types of damages:

• Economic damages: Medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, diminished earning capacity, rehabilitation costs, and out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium
• Punitive damages: In cases involving particularly reckless or malicious conduct, Michigan courts may award punitive damages to punish the manufacturer and deter similar misconduct
• Wrongful death damages: When a defective product causes death, surviving family members can pursue wrongful death claims

The compensation available depends on the severity of your injuries and the specific facts of your case. Catastrophic injuries can result in millions of dollars in damages.

Building a Strong Product Liability Case

Product liability cases are complex and require extensive resources. Our approach includes:

• Preserving the evidence. The defective product itself is often the most important piece of evidence. We work to preserve it before it's repaired, altered, or discarded.
• Working with industry experts. Engineers, materials scientists, medical professionals, and industry-specific experts analyze the defect and testify about safer alternatives.
• Investigating manufacturing records. Internal company documents, quality control reports, customer complaints, and regulatory filings reveal what the manufacturer knew and when.
• Identifying prior similar incidents. Other complaints and lawsuits involving the same product help establish that the manufacturer knew or should have known about the defect.
• Preparing for trial. Manufacturers and their insurers know which firms settle quickly and which prepare every case for trial. Our reputation for trial readiness produces better outcomes.

Why Calhoun County Injury Victims Choose Logeman & Iafrate

Product liability cases require significant resources to take on major manufacturers. We've spent more than 45 years fighting for injury victims throughout Michigan, including residents of Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, Homer, and surrounding Calhoun County communities. Our firm has the experience, resources, and trial reputation needed to hold manufacturers accountable.

We work on a contingency-fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win. This levels the playing field against well-funded manufacturers and their insurance companies.

Get Legal Help After a Calhoun County Product Liability Injury

If you've been injured by a defective product in Calhoun County, contact Logeman & Iafrate, P.C. for a free consultation. We represent product liability victims throughout Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, Homer, Tekonsha, and surrounding communities.

Call us at (734) 994-0200 or fill out our online contact form. We handle product liability cases on a contingency-fee basis—no fee unless we win.

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.