Parker Poe’s Product Liability & Mass Tort Team is comprised of experienced, aggressive trial lawyers who have been recognized among the premier lawyers of this class in the country. We have been recognized by our peers in The Best Lawyers in America as one of the best law firms for product liability litigation. We have defended companies in cases involving industrial and manufacturing equipment, pharmaceutical products, children’s toys, durable medical equipment, appliances, sporting goods, farm equipment, automobiles, and electrical contact injuries. Our firm has been intentional in making sure that we have true trial lawyers, not just litigators. These lawyers are in court examining witnesses and arguing to judges and juries across the Carolinas on a regular basis. Not all cases go to trial, but having counsel that the opposition understands will go the distance if necessary leads to better outcomes - good trial lawyers get good results at trial or through settlement.
Product liability cases frequently depend on expert witnesses. We have extensive experience retaining and managing expert witnesses and accident reconstructionists. We are well-networked, with lawyers who have membership in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Defense Research Institute (DRI). Our product lawyers counsel clients in every phase of product liability risk management, from product design to field experience and assessment. We counsel clients on the composition and use of product safety committees during the design process. We advise on the use, content, and placement of product warnings and operator manuals. We work with our clients’ in-house engineers and design teams toward formulating a comprehensive defense against product liability claims. Nobody can prevent claims from being brought. However, we strive to ensure that our clients are well-positioned to meet those claims, whether based on alleged failure to warn, breach of warranty, or design or manufacturing defects.
We represent clients before regulatory agencies and industry groups and have provided guidance in responding to inquiries and audits by federal regulatory agencies. We have traveled the country on behalf of clients, dealing with particularly worrisome products or efforts to resolve claims prior to formal litigation. We are frequently retained on an emergency basis to manage accident reconstruction and conduct privileged investigations in the hours and days after a catastrophic incident occurs. We use our products liability experience to defend and try complex product claims grounded in wrongful death or catastrophic injuries.