When a product injures you because something went wrong during the manufacturing process, you may have a manufacturing defect claim. Unlike design defects where the entire product line is flawed, manufacturing defects occur when a specific unit deviates from its intended design due to errors in production, assembly, or materials.
What Is a Manufacturing Defect?
A manufacturing defect exists when a product differs from the manufacturer's own specifications or from other identical units in a way that makes it unreasonably dangerous. The product's design may be perfectly safe, but something went wrong during production that created a defective individual unit.
Examples include a car with improperly torqued lug nuts that cause a wheel to detach, a medication contaminated during production, a ladder with a cracked weld that fails under normal use, or a toy with a small part that wasn't properly secured.
Proving a Manufacturing Defect
Manufacturing defect claims require proving the product deviated from its intended design, the defect existed when the product left the manufacturer's control, the defect made the product unreasonably dangerous, and the defect caused your injuries.
The strongest evidence is the defective product itself. Preserving the product in its post-accident condition is critical. Expert analysis can compare the defective unit to design specifications and identify where production went wrong.
Strict Liability for Manufacturing Defects
Most states apply strict liability to manufacturing defect claims. You don't need to prove the manufacturer was negligent—only that the product was defective and caused your injury. This recognizes that manufacturers are in the best position to ensure quality control and should bear responsibility when defective products reach consumers.
Under strict liability, it doesn't matter that the manufacturer took reasonable precautions. If a defect slipped through quality control and injured you, the manufacturer is liable.
Quality Control Failures
While strict liability doesn't require proving negligence, evidence of quality control failures strengthens your case and may support additional claims. Common quality control problems include inadequate inspection procedures, poorly trained production workers, use of substandard materials, pressure to meet production quotas over safety, and failure to test finished products.
Manufacturing records, quality control logs, and inspection reports can reveal systemic problems that allowed your defective product to reach the market.
Who Is Liable?
Manufacturing defect claims can target multiple parties in the distribution chain:
- The manufacturer who produced the defective product
- Component part suppliers if a defective component caused the injury
- Assemblers who put the product together incorrectly
- Distributors and retailers in some jurisdictions
Identifying the correct defendants requires investigating where in the production process the defect arose.
Preserving Evidence
Never dispose of a product you believe injured you due to a defect. The product is the most important evidence in a manufacturing defect case. Store it safely without attempting repairs or modifications. Take photographs documenting its condition. Keep all packaging, instructions, and receipts.
If the product was destroyed in the accident, document whatever remains. Photographs, witness statements, and any surviving fragments can help experts analyze what went wrong.
Expert Testimony
Manufacturing defect cases typically require expert witnesses. Engineers can analyze the product and identify how it deviated from specifications. Metallurgists can examine metal failures. Industry experts can testify about manufacturing standards and quality control practices.
Expert testimony is often essential to establish that a defect existed and caused your injuries, rather than product misuse or some other factor.
Damages Available
Successful manufacturing defect claims can recover all damages caused by the defective product, including medical expenses past and future, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, permanent disability or disfigurement, and property damage.
If you've been injured by what you believe was a defectively manufactured product, preserve the product and consult a product liability attorney promptly. These technical cases require specialized expertise to pursue effectively.