Louisiana Defective Product Lawyers

When Dangerous Products Injure Victims or Kill A Loved One, We Hold Manufacturers and Distributors Accountable

We know defective products destroy Louisiana lives every day– from industrial equipment failures to vehicle defects on Louisiana highways and interstates, to faulty medical devices and dangerous consumer goods and appliances. The defective product injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault bring national products liability expertise to Louisiana victims, with attorneys who have fought large manufacturers and secured multi-million and even multi-billion-dollar verdicts and settlements against companies that put profits over the safety of our loved ones and cause severe injuries. When product defects cause severe injuries or wrongful death, you need experienced attorneys with our proven track record who understand how to fight and win product liability cases.

Why Louisiana Victims Choose Neblett, Beard & Arsenault for Defective Product Cases

Our Credentials in Major Products Liability Litigation:

• Leadership appointments in defective medical device cases
• Steering committee positions in automotive defect litigation
• Billions recovered in dangerous product settlements
• Resources to fight Fortune 500 manufacturers and distributors
• Proven track record of maximum recovery for your severe injuries through settlement and at trial.

Our Homegrown, Louisiana Industry Knowledge:

• Offshore and vessel equipment failures
• Refinery and chemical plant defects
• Agricultural machinery dangers
• Industrial tool malfunctions
• Oil field and construction equipment failures
• Motor vehicle defects causing serious accidents on state highways, I-10, I-20, and I-49.

Common Types of Defective Products Killing and Injuring Louisianans

Workplace Equipment- Common in Louisiana’s Industrial Corridor, Plants, and Refineries

• Refinery Equipment: Valve failures, pressure explosions, chemical leaks
• Offshore Platform Gear: Crane collapses, winch malfunctions, drilling rig failures
• Chemical Plant Machinery: Safety system failures, containment breaches
• Construction Equipment: Scaffolding collapses, power tool defects, forklifts, and manlifts
• Agricultural Machinery: PTO shaft guards, rollover protection failures, belt and chain malfunctions

Vehicle and Automotive Defects- Dangerous on Louisiana’s Highways and Interstates:

• Tire Failures: Tread separation causing I-10, I-20, and I-49 rollovers and collisions
• Airbag Defects: Non-deployment or explosive deployment
• Roof Crush: Inadequate protection in rollovers
• Seatbelt Failures: Unlatching, tearing, design defects
• Brake System Defects: ABS failures, hydraulic problems, fluid leaks that spark fires
• Fuel System Fires: Post-crash fuel-fed fires

Consumer Products in Louisiana Homes- Everyday Dangers for Louisiana Residents and Children

• Appliance Fires: Dishwashers, dryers, refrigerators, water heaters
• Space Heater Explosions: Propane and electric failures
• Pressure Cooker Explosions: Instant Pot, Crock-Pot steam and burn injuries
• Power Tool Injuries: Saw kickbacks, grinder explosions, PPE failures leading to hearing and vision loss, or crushing injuries
• Children’s Products: Crib deaths, toy choking hazards, car seat failures in vehicle crashes
• Recreational: trampoline injuries, ATV rollovers, discharging firearms, and gun safety malfunctions

Medical Devices and Implants- We know Health Product and Medical Device Failures.

• Hip and Knee Replacements: Metal poisoning, early failure, infections, and poisonings
• Hernia Mesh: Migration, perforation, chronic and long-term pain
• Heart Devices: Pacemaker and defibrillator malfunctions
• Hospital Tools: Retained surgical instruments, power morcellators, defective scans
• Breast Implants: Rupture, BIA-ALCL cancer

Louisiana-Specific Product Dangers

The product defect injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault know and understand the blue-collar and recreational products that our Bayou State residents use every day for industrial and maritime work. We also appreciate the tragedy that unfolds when Louisiana’s sportsman’s paradise becomes deadly when you are off the clock, enjoying the weekend with your family.

Offshore and Oilfield Equipment:

• Drilling equipment failures
• Rigging and drilling defects
• Safety harness failures
• Breathing apparatus malfunctions
• Fire suppression system failures

Agricultural Products:

• Tractor deaths
• Grain auger entanglements
• Chemical sprayer malfunctions
• Harvester safety guard failures
• Livestock handling equipment

Sports & Outdoors

• Boat Failures: hull cracks, engine explosions, steering malfunctions, fuel system fires
• ATV/Four-Wheeler Rollovers: Stability defects, throttle sticking, brake failures
• Gun Range: Accidental discharges, barrel explosions, safety mechanism failures
• Hunting and Camping: tree stand collapses, propane heater explosions

Three Types of Product Defects We Prove under Louisiana Law

1. Design Defects: The product is inherently dangerous even when manufactured correctly:

• SUVs with high rollover risk
• Medical devices causing tissue damage
• Industrial and Construction equipment lacking safety guards or proper instruction
• Children’s products with choking hazards

2. Manufacturing Defects: Errors during production make specific products or parts of products dangerous:

• Contaminated pharmaceuticals
• Weak welds on offshore equipment
• Faulty electrical components
• Incorrect material composition
• Appliance explosions resulting in fires

3. Marketing Defects (Failure to Warn): Inadequate warnings or instructions about known dangers:

• Missing or misleading safety labels
• Incomplete user manuals
• Hidden risks of specific uses not disclosed
• Improper age recommendations

When Defective Products Cause Wrongful Death

Fatal Product Defects We Handle in Louisiana

• Industrial explosions from equipment failures
• Vehicle crashes from automotive defects
• Electrocutions from faulty products
• Suffocations from design defects
• Fire deaths from product malfunctions
• Medical device failures causing death or diseases leading to death

Severe Injuries from Defective Products We Handled for Louisiana Families:

Burns and Explosions:

• Third and fourth-degree burns
• Disfiguring facial burns and scarring
• Inhalation injuries
• Blast trauma injuries

Traumatic Brain Injuries

• From vehicle roof crush
• Falls from defective ladders and harness failures
• Falling impacts from faulty products
• Oxygen deprivation

Spinal Cord Injuries:

• Paralysis from equipment collapses
• Defective vehicle parts leading to high-impact collisions
• Falls from height
• Crushing injuries

Amputations:

• Unguarded machinery
• Power tool kickbacks
• Crushing equipment
• Explosion trauma

Louisiana and National Product Recall Information

Product recall is often tantamount to an admission that a dangerous defect exists. However, recalls don’t prevent lawsuits necessary to recover compensation you deserve for a severe injury caused by a defective product. Recalls can strengthen your products liability cases by providing key evidence that the manufacturer knew, or should have known, about the defect—mainly when your injuries occurred before the recall was issued and sales continued after dangers were discovered. We also have experience challenging inadequate recalls and holding companies accountable for delayed recall implementation to protect profits.

Our defective product injury attorneys check and investigate recalls daily for the Louisiana families injured by failed products.

You can contact us anytime if a recalled product has injured you, or if you want to know more information on whether a product you use at home has been recalled. You can also check these resources for consumer product recalls and drug and medical device red flags:

• https://www.recalls.gov/ – Consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, and environmental products
• https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts – Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts for Food and Drugs gathered by the FDA.

Representative Defective Product Cases We’ve Handled

Our Louisiana defective product attorneys have successfully represented severely injured victims in Louisiana and across the United States in numerous product defect cases, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for victims:

• Counsel in genetically modified agricultural products, with seven trials yielding verdicts of over $200 million and a $750 million settlement.
• Oil spill case recovering $330 million for victims before trial
• Executive committee and trial team members of hip implant litigation resulting in verdicts of $502 million, $1 billion, and $247 million
• Lead counsel in defective drug MDL in Lafayette, Louisiana, resulting in a verdict of $9 billion, and served on negotiating team securing the largest single mass tort settlement of $2.4 billion
• Steering committee of nationwide automotive defect litigation resulting in settlement of over $1 billion
• $100 Million recovery for clients that suffered damage due to gasoline with high sulfur content
• Steering committee for $100 million recovery in multi-plaintiff litigation involving defective contraceptive medical product
• $45 million recovery in southwest Louisiana defective herbicide case
• $21 Million recovery for a worker injured in a plant explosion
• Large recovery for a severe injury to a person due to the collapse of metal stairs
• Numerous multi-million dollar recoveries for severe injuries caused by defective products, equipment failures, or failures to warn in the oilfield, offshore, and construction industries.

Get Louisiana’s Top Defective Product Injury Lawyers Fighting for You

The Defective Product Injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have been named to America’s Top 100 Attorneys in product liability litigation, have consistently been named top-rated product liability attorneys in Alexandria, and have been selected as one of the top 25 most influential trial law firms.

We have an unmatched track record of over 40 years recovering maximum compensation for our clients injured by defective products. Contact Us Today so we can fight for you and your loved ones:

• 24/7 Central Louisiana Hotline: (318) 561-2500
• Lake Charles area: (337) 855-4400
• Baton Rouge area: (225) 343-3475
• Shreveport area: (318) 635-5800
• Lafayette area: (337)-289-9800
• Monroe area: (318) 323-4455
• Online: Free Case Evaluation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Louisiana Defective Products Injuries

How do I prove the product was defective?

Through expert engineering analysis, testing, recall details, and comparison to safety standards. We work with top experts who can demonstrate how and why the product failed, often finding safer design alternatives that would have prevented severe injury.

What if I partially modified or misused the product?

Louisiana’s comparative fault law allows recovery even with some partial fault. Manufacturers must anticipate foreseeable use of the product even if it differs from the intended use. We show how proper design would prevent injury despite minor modifications or slight misuse by the injured consumer or purchaser.

Can I sue if the product had warnings?

Yes. Warnings must be complete, adequate, visible, and understandable. Many warnings are legally insufficient. We prove manufacturers knew of greater dangers than disclosed or that warnings couldn’t eliminate unreasonable dangers.

What if my hometown Louisiana store where I bought the product is now closed?

We pursue all parties in the distribution chain – from the initial manufacturer, to the distributor, to the seller and retailer. Even if the seller is gone, manufacturers and their insurers remain liable for defective products they put in commerce, which severely injures you or a loved one here in Louisiana.

Do I need to keep the defective product?

YES. Product preservation is critical in cases involving severe injuries resulting from a defective product. Store it safely, don’t attempt repairs or modifications, and photograph it thoroughly. We’ll arrange proper storage and expert examination. Destroying or losing the product can negatively impact your future case.

What makes Neblett, Beard & Arsenault your top choice for defective products injuries?

National and statewide experience recovering hundreds of millions for our injured clients, networks of experts necessary for technical product testing, and the resources required to fight manufacturers and large corporations who spend millions to prevent recovery by injured victims. We have a 40+ year track record leveling the playing field against these corporate defendants.

Serving defective product victims throughout Louisiana: Alexandria, Pineville, Shreveport, Monroe, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Opelousas, Lake Charles, New Orleans, and nationwide through multi-plaintiff litigation.

Industry-specific experience: Offshore equipment failures, refinery explosions, agricultural machinery accidents, industrial workplace injuries, consumer product hazards, automotive defects, and medical device failures throughout Louisiana’s industrial corridor and the Gulf South region.