Product liability lawyers in Iowa City IA are those that focus their practice on product liability, an area of law that concerns itself with determining who is responsible when a product failure results in an injury. Product liability lawyers can represent either side in court, they can represent the consumer who is trying to sue parties which are felt are liable or they can represent the company or people that might be liable. Although a product liability case may reveal criminal issues these cases are considered to be civil in nature.
Product liability law is phenomenally complex. There are many companies and people involved along the line, there are designers, manufacturers and suppliers of components, retail companies and even transporters that can be named as defendant in these cases. Not only are there many people involved, there are differing forms of liability which range from warranty breaches to liability without any regard to culpability known as strict liability. It is the goal of product liability lawyers in Iowa City IA to be of assistance to clients who find themselves involved in a case which revolves around product liability.
Many product liability lawyers focus on representing consumers, helping them to identify the person or company that is most likely to be liable or the most negligent and to develop a tactic to use when suing them. The lawyer needs to gather any and all information to support the claim which can include physical evidence as well as eye witness accounts, this will be used in court. In many cases the product liability lawyer is able to put together a very strong case, strong enough that the defendant feels that they may lose in court. In cases like this the lawyer can negotiate an out of court settlement which will compensate the plaintiff for the damages and injury that were the result of the faulty product.
On the flip side is product liability lawyers who defends the company or people named as defendants in the case. The lawyer must be very familiar with all elements of liability law which include defense tactics.
Product liability lawyers in Iowa City often work on contingency and their fee is based on a successful conclusion of the case for their consumer client. In other cases, especially when the client is the defendant the lawyer will be paid a flat retainer plus a bonus when they either win the case or bargain the awards down.