Chicago Product Liability Lawyer
Chicago Product Liability Lawyer – Demand Accountability for Dangerous Products
Harmed by a defective product in Chicago? At Phillips Law Offices, we fight to hold manufacturers, distributors, and retailers fully accountable, working to secure the compensation you need for medical bills, lost income, and suffering. Our nationally respected attorneys have built a record of results and recognition throughout Illinois, making us the trusted choice when your wellbeing and financial future are on the line.
Free Consultation | No Fees Unless We Win | Call (312) 346-4262
Proven Results, Recognition & Client Trust
After an injury from a dangerous product, having the right lawyer is critical. Phillips Law Offices brings together over 77 years of product liability experience, a proven track record of securing multimillion-dollar settlements ($1.35 Million Product Liability Settlement For a 32-year-old unmarried maintenance worker was killed while performing maintenance on a food refrigeration machine, which contained anhydrous ammonia), and recognition by Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers Top 100.
- 50+ Years of Legal Experience: Our team combines extensive courtroom experience and deep knowledge of Illinois product liability law.
- Billions Recovered: Cases include defective drugs, medical devices, industrial equipment, consumer electronics, and household products.
- High Client Satisfaction: Consistently praised for responsiveness, compassion, and exceptional advocacy—both in and out of court.
- Recognized Leaders: Honors from legal organizations nationwide reinforce our commitment to clients:
- Super Lawyers
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
How We Help After a Product Injury
When a product you rely on fails—be it a medical device, appliance, or vehicle—our attorneys move quickly and strategically to secure evidence, identify all liable parties, and fight for your maximum recovery.
Thorough Investigation
We launch a comprehensive investigation into your injury: preserving the defective item, obtaining recall records, analyzing product design and warnings, consulting with engineering and medical experts, and collecting witness statements.
Identifying All Responsible Parties
Liability may extend across the chain of distribution—manufacturer, designer, distributor, retailer, or even a third-party component supplier. Our mission is to identify every party whose negligence or oversight led to your injury.
Product Liability Law Knowledge
Phillips Law Offices attorneys are well-versed in Illinois’ product liability statutes, strict liability rules, and modified comparative fault system. We expose regulatory violations and help demonstrate how the product’s defect caused your harm.
Handling Insurers and Corporations
Large insurers and manufacturers have legal teams to limit your compensation. We level the playing field—managing negotiations and communications so you’re never pressured into accepting less than your case is worth.
Catastrophic Injuries and Losses
Defective products can cause devastating, even life-altering harm: burns, amputations, brain or spinal cord injuries, organ damage, and fatalities. We collaborate with medical experts to document both immediate and long-term impact, calculating compensation for future care, disability, or wrongful death.
Trial-Ready Litigation
While many cases are resolved through settlement, we prepare every claim for trial. Our reputation as tireless advocates means corporations take your case seriously—if necessary, our attorneys are ready to fight for justice in court.
Types of Product Liability Cases We Handle
Consumer product injuries send over 11 million people to U.S. emergency rooms annually—and lead to $1 trillion in yearly costs nationwide. In Chicago and Illinois, product liability claims may involve:
Prescription Drugs & Medical Devices: Sometimes, the medicines or medical equipment we trust to heal us can actually cause harm. This may happen if the product was made incorrectly, contained unsafe ingredients, or didn’t warn about dangerous side effects. If a drug or device injures someone, the manufacturer and others in the supply chain can be held responsible.
Automobiles & Vehicle Parts: Cars, trucks, and their parts must be safe for the roads. If brakes fail, airbags don’t open, tires burst, or fuel systems leak, the results can be deadly. Faulty vehicle parts are a common cause of serious crashes, and in many cases, the makers or sellers can be held accountable.
Appliances & Electronics: Many home appliances or electronics—like microwaves, heaters, or phones—can be dangerous if they’re poorly made. They might overheat, start fires, or cause electric shocks. When a product’s design or build puts people in harm’s way, the injured person may have the right to compensation.
Children’s Toys & Furniture: Items meant for kids should be 100% safe, but sometimes they are not. Small parts can become choking hazards, toxic paint can make children sick, or furniture may collapse unexpectedly. When children’s products fail in safety, it’s a serious issue that can lead to product liability claims.
Industrial/Machinery Equipment: Machines used in factories or construction must have protective guards, clear warnings, and safe designs. If a machine fails because of a manufacturing mistake, missing safety features, or poor design, workers and users can suffer life-changing injuries. In such cases, the maker can be held liable.
Household & Cleaning Products: Products like bleach, detergents, or chemical sprays can be dangerous if formulas are unsafe or warning labels are unclear. Poisoning, chemical burns, or respiratory problems can result—and if the label or instructions failed to warn properly, the company can be held responsible.
Recreational Products: Sports and leisure equipment—such as bicycles, gym machines, or boats—must be designed and built safely. If they break, have design flaws, or don’t include proper warnings, they can lead to serious accidents. When this happens, injured users may have a valid legal case.
Mass Torts: In some situations, a large group of people are harmed by the same defective product—like a dangerous drug or a faulty medical device. In these cases, many victims can join forces to take legal action together, which is called a mass tort.
Class Action Lawsuits: When a defective product affects a lot of people in the same way, they may file a single lawsuit together. This type of case, called a class action, helps large groups of people seek compensation more efficiently against big corporations.
Common Causes of Product Injury Cases
Most product liability claims center on:
- Manufacturing Defects: This cause refers to mistakes made while products are being built. Something can go wrong during production—like a part not being installed, chemicals mixed incorrectly, or materials being poor quality. Even if the design is safe, a single error on the assembly line can make that item dangerous or deadly when used.
- Design Defects: Sometimes, the problem starts before the product is ever built. If a product is planned or designed in a way that’s unsafe for its intended use—such as a toy that breaks easily or a tool that has no safety guard—every item from that design might be risky. In these cases, the flaw exists in the blueprint, so all items made from it can be harmful.
- Failure to Warn/Inadequate Instructions: Even when a product works properly and is designed safely, it can still be dangerous if people aren’t warned about certain risks. If instructions are missing, unclear, or the packaging doesn’t explain how to avoid harm, users can get hurt simply because they didn’t know about the hidden dangers or how to safely use the item.
These three issues—errors in making, unsafe designs, and bad or missing warnings—are the most common reasons people get hurt by products and file product liability claims.
What Compensation Can You Recover for Product Liability?
If you’re injured by a defective product, you may be entitled to compensation for:
Medical Expenses
If you’re injured by a defective product, you can get money for your hospital visits, surgeries, doctor’s bills, medicine, therapy, and any future medical care you may need to heal or stay healthy.
Pain and Suffering
Besides physical injuries, you can recover money for the pain you went through and the emotional stress or psychological trauma you experienced—like stress, sadness, or losing enjoyment in life after your injury.
Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity
If your injuries stopped you from working or forced you to take a lower paying job, you can be compensated for the money you lost—and for potential income you won’t be able to earn moving forward.
Permanent Disability or Disfigurement
If the defective product caused a long-term injury or physical change—like a disability or permanent scar—you can receive extra money to help you cope with these lasting effects.
Property Damage
If your personal belongings—like your car, clothing, or house—were damaged because of the product, you can get reimbursed for the costs to repair or replace them.
Wrongful Death
If a loved one died because of a product defect, your family can recover money for funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the emotional pain you feel from losing them.
All these types of compensation are meant to help you recover from the physical, financial, and emotional impact a defective product causes. The exact amount depends on your case and how much the incident affected your life.
Frequently Asked Questions: Chicago Product Liability Cases
What should I do after a product injury?
If you get hurt by any product, don’t throw it away—keep the product and its packaging. Get medical help right away, take pictures of your injuries, and try to write down what happened. Before talking to insurance companies or the store where you bought it, talk to a lawyer to make sure your rights are protected.
Who can be held liable?
You can make a claim against anyone involved in making, selling, or distributing the product. This often includes the manufacturer, the company that sold it, and sometimes even the company that shipped it. If someone changed or fixed the product before you used it, they may also be responsible for your injury depending on what they did and when.
How is a product case different from other injury claims?
A product liability case usually depends on technical evidence—like proof of a design flaw, manufacturing mistake, or a missing warning. You’ll often need expert witnesses (like engineers or doctors) to help show how the product was unsafe. These cases can be more scientific and complex than regular injury claims.
How long do I have to file my claim?
In Illinois, you must file a product injury claim within two years from the date you were hurt. There’s also a “statute of repose,” which means you can’t file any product-related claim more than ten years after you bought or received the product—even if you get hurt later.
How much does hiring a product liability lawyer cost?
Most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t pay anything upfront—they only get paid if they win money for you, so there’s no financial risk for starting your case.
What if I was misusing the product slightly?
Even if you weren’t using the product exactly as directed, you might still have a case. Your compensation might be lower if you were partly at fault, but under Illinois law, you can recover damages as long as you weren’t more than 50% responsible for your own injury.
Client Reviews & Case Results
$1.35 Million Product Liability Settlement at Phillips Law Offices
A 32-year-old unmarried maintenance worker was killed while performing maintenance on a food refrigeration machine, which contained anhydrous ammonia. During routine maintenance, he opened part of the machine, which sprayed ammonia in his face and lungs. Once inhaled, the ammonia burned his lungs and ultimately caused his death. We claimed the machine lacked proper warnings and that the operator’s manual was unclear in its instructions on how to maintain the machine. The defense argued that our client did not follow the instructions in the manual, that his employer did not train him, and that warnings would not have made a difference.
This case settled one week into trial. It provides us great satisfaction to obtain compensation for the family of a hard-working maintenance man, who, despite taking the time to read the manual, was subjected to working on an unsafe product.
Read more client reviews related to product liability cases on Google.
Our Process: What to Expect at Phillips Law Offices
- Free, No-Obligation Evaluation: First, you talk to the lawyer for free. You tell them what happened, and they listen carefully. They explain your legal options and whether your case has a good chance of winning. There’s no pressure, and you don’t pay anything at this stage.
- In-Depth Investigation: Once you hire the firm, they start digging into your case right away. They collect all important information, like the defective product, documents, and any records. They also work with experts like engineers and doctors who can explain how the product was unsafe and how it hurt you.
- Identifying All Liable Parties: In product injury cases, often more than one person or company is responsible. The lawyers find out exactly who might have caused your injury—this could be the maker, seller, supplier, or others involved in getting the product to you.
- Documenting Damages: Your lawyers will gather proof of how much you have lost because of the injury. This includes medical bills, time off work, future medical needs, pain, and suffering. They make sure to build a complete picture of how the injury affected your life.
- Negotiation and Litigation: The firm tries to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance companies or manufacturers. If the offer isn’t enough, they prepare your case to go to court and fight for the compensation you deserve. They are ready for trial if needed.
- Support at Every Step: Throughout the whole process, the lawyers keep you informed and supported. They answer your questions, explain what’s happening, and guide you, so you don’t feel lost or alone while dealing with legal troubles after being hurt.
Meet Top Chicago Product Liability Attorneys
Stephen D. Phillips
Stephen D. Phillips is the managing partner at Phillips Law Offices in Chicago. He has over 40 years of experience representing people injured by defective products, medical malpractice, accidents, and wrongful death. Stephen is recognized as one of the top personal injury and product liability lawyers in Illinois and across the country. He has earned many awards and is known for securing large settlements and verdicts for his clients.
Stephen studied law at Loyola University Chicago and also earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa. He is committed to fighting on behalf of injury victims and serves as a trusted advisor, often working on complex product liability cases involving dangerous or faulty products. Stephen is also active in legal education and has served as an adjunct professor and leader in Illinois trial lawyer organizations.
Terrence M. Quinn
Terrence M. Quinn is a partner at Phillips Law Offices specializing in complex personal injury cases including product liability, trucking accidents, and medical malpractice. Since joining the firm in 2001, he has helped many clients get fair settlements and large verdicts in cases involving serious injuries caused by defective products or negligence. Terry is known for his thorough preparation, strong trial skills, and dedicated client advocacy.
He is involved in the Illinois legal community through associations such as the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association of Justice. Terry’s experience makes him a powerful advocate for victims of product defects who need help holding manufacturers and sellers accountable for unsafe products.
Stephen J. Phillips
Stephen J. Phillips is a partner at Phillips Law Offices and a respected trial lawyer in Chicago known for his work in product liability and personal injury cases. As a third-generation attorney, Stephen has achieved record settlements for clients injured by defective products and negligent corporations. He focuses on helping people who have suffered serious or catastrophic injuries due to product defects.
Stephen is recognized nationally and has won honors such as being named to the Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers in the United States. His passion is fighting for justice for injured victims and their families, making complex product liability cases easier to navigate and securing the compensation clients deserve.
Consult a Leading Chicago Product Liability Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love has been hurt by a dangerous or defective product, you don’t have to face big companies or insurance lawyers on your own. The team at Phillips Law Offices is here to fight for your rights and get you the compensation you deserve.
We offer:
- Free consultations – no cost to talk with a lawyer
- No fees unless we win your case
- Strong trial experience – ready to take your case to court if needed
- Help with all types of product injury cases in Chicago and across Illinois
You can call us today at (312) 598-0917 or fill out our online form to get started. We’ll listen to your story, explain your legal options, and guide you every step of the way. If you can’t visit us, we can come to you—anywhere in Chicago or Illinois.
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