A recent victory for Alexander Law Group, LLP spells a victory for consumers across California. Francisco Uriarte suffered from interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, which is a very serious personal injury to the lungs, due to being exposed to airborne toxins produced by sandblasting with silica sand. The court’s decision found that the sellers had a duty to warn consumers like Uriarte of the dangers of sandblasting with silica sand, which is known to cause a number of different lung diseases. The implications of this court decision are going to have a broad and wide-reaching positive impact for consumers across California.
Seller Not Protected by the Components Parts Doctrine
The court also found that the sellers were not protected by the component parts doctrine, which provides that the seller of a non-defective component is insulated from liability for personal injuries when one product is integrated into a defective product, because the product was being used by the consumer/worker precisely as it was intended by the sellers. When sellers intend their products to be used in a particular manner with another specific product, they have a duty to warn consumers and workers if those products are dangerous or defective when used together.
Victory for Consumers in California
This is a huge victory for consumers in California, because the court disagreed with the anti-consumer decision known as Maxon. Thankfully, the court in Uriarte roundly rejected and thrashed the Maxon decision, which put an end to its adverse impact in preventing consumers from suing for personal injuries caused by defective products. Alexander Law Group, LLP backed this challenge to change anti-consumer defective product law by filing an amicus brief on behalf of a team of scientific and medical experts explaining why the Maxon decision was simply wrong.
After an Injury Involving a Defective Product
Manufacturers, distributors and retailers have a duty to ensure their products are safe for consumers, and to warn consumers and workers of potential dangers involved with their products. When consumers are injured by defective products, they have multiple legal claims: negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty or violation of consumer protection laws. It is critically important to contact an experienced product liability lawyer as soon as possible. When defective products cause personal injuries, legal decisions such as Uriarte help to keep all consumers in California safe. That is why we fight for them. Contact the skilled team at Alexander Law Group, LLP at 888.777.1776 for help at any time.
