Guide to Finding New York Product Liability Lawyer

Every year, thousands of Americans are hurt by defective products—and many of those hurt can even be children. Searching for a New York product liability lawyer can be confusing and overwhelming. Maybe you're not even yet sure that you need NY product liability lawyers, just that you or a loved one has been hurt by a defective product. This guide will help you learn about the role of New York product liability lawyers and address some common questions you may have when searching for a NY product liability lawyer.

Product Liability Law in New York

In order for a New York product liability lawyer to win your case, you will need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that you were injured by a product that was somehow defective. NY product liability lawyers can show that a product's design was defective, which means that it posed unnecessary risk to you.

Your NY product liability lawyer may also show a manufacturing defect, which is a defect that occurs when the product is being made. If a product is inherently dangerous and had inadequate warning labels, New York product liability lawyers may try to prove that the warnings or labels were defective and did not give proper warning of the risks.

How a New York Product Liability Lawyer Can Help You

If you or a your child has been hurt by a defective product, NY product liability lawyers can represent you throughout the course of your legal proceedings. Even if your case never gets to trial, your NY product liability lawyer will assist you in negotiating with insurance companies and corporate representatives.

Companies have legal departments full of New York product liability lawyers working on their side. If you want to be successful arguing against them, you need a New York product liability lawyer with proven experience in negotiating settlements and getting jury verdicts. Your NY product liability lawyers are bound ethically to represent you in whatever manner you choose, within the bounds of professional courtesy—while New York product liability lawyers can advise and support you, they can never make a decision for you.

Settlement versus Trial

Usually, if you have been injured by a defective product, a company's legal department will make a settlement offer through their NY product liability lawyers. Once you are offered a settlement, your NY product liability lawyer can help you to understand the terms of the offer and advise you about your choices.

You may choose, with the advice and help of your New York product liability lawyer, to accept the settlement offer. However, if the settlement is low, New York product liability lawyers may advise you to wait for a bigger offer or take the case to trial. The experience of your NY product liability lawyer helps them to understand when it is likely your award will get bigger.

While NY product liability lawyers can advise you whether settling or trial will give you the best outcome, the ultimate decision always rests with you, not your New York product liability lawyer. New York product liability lawyers can never make a legal decision (like when to settle) without your express consent.

Can I Afford a NY Product Liability Lawyer?

Legal services have a reputation of being expensive, but NY product liability lawyers usually will cost you nothing upfront. This isn't because your New York product liability lawyer is taking charity cases—instead, it's because most New York product liability lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.

When your NY product liability lawyer offers to take your case “on contingency,” this means that you will pay nothing until your award comes in. When you have received your settlement or jury award, your New York product liability lawyer will take a set portion of your award as their fee—usually 33 to 40 percent. The percentage often varies slightly depending on whether you and your NY product liability lawyer decide to go to trial (which will command a higher contingency fee) or settle.

Do I Need a New York Product Liability Lawyer Right Away?

The short answer is: yes, you should find NY product liability lawyers as soon as possible after you are injured. The reason for this is New York's statute of limitations on defective product lawsuits. The longest time that can elapse between your injury and your NY product liability lawyer filing a lawsuit is three years—any longer, and New York product liability lawyers can no longer work on the case because it would be thrown out of court.

How Do I Find NY Product Liability Lawyers?

Trying to find New York product liability lawyers by looking through the yellow pages or a web search can be overwhelming—there are many options for finding a New York product liability lawyer, but it may be hard to find one with offices near enough to be convenient.

One way to find a competent local NY product liability lawyer is to use the state bar's lawyer referral service. NY product liability lawyers who list themselves with the referral service will give you a totally free initial consultation. You will only receive one recommendation for a New York product liability lawyer per call, but if you wish to compare several New York product liability lawyers to find the one that is best for you, the service will refer you to additional NY product liability lawyers after your first consultation.

Your First Consultation

During your first consultation with a NY product liability lawyer, you may have many questions you want answered. You can get organized by writing your questions for New York product liability lawyers ahead of time, and by bringing pen and paper to your NY product liability lawyer consultation to write down answers and any notes you may wish to take.

You may want to ask NY product liability lawyers about their fee structures and experience with similar cases so that you can find the New York product liability lawyer that will have the best chance of winning your case.