Product Liability
A product that reaches your home should be safe to use. When it is not, the company that made it is accountable.
Major manufacturers have major defense firms. We know how they defend.
You used the product the way anyone would. It failed, and the injury it caused was not your fault. Manufacturers count on injured consumers being overwhelmed by that moment: the corporate defendant, the engineers, the lawyers. You do not have to take them on alone.
Tarpey, Jones & Schroeder represents people injured by defective and dangerous products in Chicago and throughout Illinois. When a manufacturer, designer, distributor, or retailer puts an unsafe product into consumers’ hands, Illinois law holds every company in that chain accountable. Our partners have handled complex product cases against major manufacturers of automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, the cases where the defense spares no expense, and preparation decides the outcome.
Common questions before you call.
Every question below is one we answer in consultations every week. Yours is free. Call (312) 782-6411.Not necessarily. Illinois recognizes strict liability: if the product was unreasonably dangerous when it left the manufacturer’s control and it caused your injury, the companies in the chain of distribution are accountable, regardless of how careful they claim to have been.
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency and advance the substantial expert costs these cases require. You owe attorney fees only if we recover for you.
Keep it, exactly as it is. Do not return it, repair it, or throw it away, and keep any packaging, instructions, and receipts you have. The product is the single most important piece of evidence in the case.
Often, yes, a recall can be powerful evidence that the product was defective. But a recall is not required, and having ignored one does not automatically defeat a claim. We evaluate the facts either way.
Yes. The claim continues on behalf of the family under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act. We handle these cases together, see our wrongful death practice.
Product cases are engineering-intensive and typically take longer than a straightforward injury claim, often one to three years. Thorough expert work is what puts real pressure on manufacturers to settle fairly.