Jacksonville Defective Product Wrongful Death Attorneys

In a perfect world, products would be made by responsible manufacturers and would be designed to do their job and come complete with instructions on how to use the product safely and properly. But this is not a perfect world and every day we hear about products that were produced for a fast buck that are defective in their manufacture, their design, or in their instructions to users.

These products whether medications, medical devices, toys, cars, tires, seat belts, exercise equipment, among others, are released into the stream of commerce and the unsuspecting public assumes they are safe.

Manufacturers and product designers have an ethical and legal responsibility to make products that do not harm the public. Instructions that accompany a product should be very clear so that consumers can avoid being injured. When the manufacturer, designer, distributor or product insert fails to alert the public and someone dies as a result of a defective or faulty product, a Florida wrongful death action can be filed against anyone who produced, designer or is in the chain of distribution.

Florida Statute 768.16 allows for financial recovery following a wrongful death.

The estate may file the wrongful death action. A spouse may recover damages and pain and suffering as well as loss of companionship and lost economic support and the value of services. Children under the age of 25, or anyone who depends on the deceased person for support or services, may be compensated for their loss in a wrongful death action. That can include siblings, parents, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, adopted children.

If the person was employed, the amount that the deceased would have made working over a lifetime can be calculated over their work-life expectancy. If the deceased person was the mother and homemaker who worked as a cook, housekeeper, child care provider, driver, teacher, nurse - all of these jobs deserve compensation. The loss of a homemaker can be assessed by experts who assign a dollar amount to what she brought the family. The family members deserve the full consideration by the insurance company for their loss. The survivors can also sue for pain and suffering the victim endured prior to his death.

The compassionate Jacksonville wrongful death attorneys at Farah & Farah understand that legal action may be your last thought at this time but that may be the only way the defective product manufacturer gets the message that harming the public is not acceptable. A complimentary consultation will open up options for you to consider at this time of grief and confusion. But remember - there may be a statute of limitations within which to file an action.