Our high level of experience and our national presence enable us to staff and manage small, complex, multi-jurisdictional and international cases efficiently, without sacrificing the caliber and comprehensiveness of service.

In-house counsel, business owners and insurance companies all rely on us to analyze cases early in their development and to assist them in determining whether it is in the company’s near- and long-term interests to pursue an alternative resolution, such as settlement, or go to trial.

Few manufacturers have a comprehensive program to minimize their product liability vulnerability. A common source of exposure consists of employees who are unfamiliar with product liability laws, the discovery process and the potentially severe negative impact their on- and off-record communications can have on the enterprise. That’s why we advocate a strategy of product liability risk minimization that includes:

• Audits to help our clients identify and eliminate potential exposure;
• Counsel on the drafting and negotiation of sales contracts, warranties, disclaimers and indemnifications, product-use manuals, warnings, service bulletins and recalls.

Since 1991, we have presented one- and two-day workshops to help companies prevent and respond to product liability incidents. These workshops feature simulations based on actual cases. They require the participants to decide, as the facts and events unfold, what steps the company and its employees should take to protect against liability. Employees are shown how their words and actions impact the company’s product liability exposure. Many manufacturers schedule these workshops on an annual or semiannual basis to ensure that both long-term and new employees understand that litigation prevention, risk management, regulatory compliance and proper incident response are everyone’s responsibility.

• The Boeing Company International arbitration panel dismissed all claims in commercial satellite case and ordered claimant to pay all of client’s attorneys’ fees.
• Twin Commander Aircraft Summary dismissal of all claims in 7-death foreign aircraft crash; affirmed on appeal.
• Experimental Aircraft Association Hired to appeal $10.5 million plaintiff verdict; verdict overturned and case dismissed.
• S.R. Smith Summary judgment dismissal of all claims in quadriplegia case.
• The Coleman Company Defense verdict in design defect and failure-to-warn case involving propane radiant heater; affirmed on appeal.
• Jeppesen Summary judgment dismissal of all claims in 50-death accident; affirmed on appeal.
• Precision Airmotive LLC Summary dismissal of all claims in 3-death wrongful death suit in Ohio; affirmed on appeal.
• Genie Industries Summary dismissal of wrongful death suit by estate of lift operator in industrial accident.
• Turbomeca Obtained full dismissal of all claims against client arising from helicopter accident; client awarded full amount of counterclaim damages.