Nashville Product Liability Lawyers

A failed tool, overheating appliance, or broken safety component can raise questions about a product defect. The answer often depends on the item, its history, and technical evidence that may be lost during repairs or disposal.

Bill Easterly & Associates helps injured people in Nashville and Middle Tennessee evaluate potential claims involving defective products. We investigate the alleged defect, identify the responsible companies, and assess how the product caused the injury under Tennessee law.

Call 1-888-272-4414 or request a free initial consultation before returning, repairing, or disposing of an item that may be important evidence.

Our team includes William Lipsey, who has tried cases to verdict across Tennessee and is admitted to the federal courts for Tennessee’s Eastern and Middle Districts.

Identifying the Defect Behind the Injury

The investigation focuses on the product’s condition and connection to the injury. It may address:

• Design defects: Whether the product’s design created a defective or unreasonably dangerous condition, even if it was built according to the plans.
• Manufacturing defects: Whether a particular item or batch departed from its intended design because of a production, assembly, or materials problem.
• Inadequate warnings or instructions: Whether legally required safety information was missing or insufficient and that failure contributed to the injury.

Potential cases can involve household goods, tools, machinery, recreational equipment, or safety components. A product breaking or causing an injury does not, by itself, prove a defect. Normal wear, maintenance, modification, and the way it was used may also need examination.

Under the Tennessee Products Liability Act, the product generally must have been defective or unreasonably dangerous when it left the relevant manufacturer’s or seller’s control. We evaluate that requirement alongside causation and the evidence of your losses.

Finding the Responsible Manufacturer or Seller

The finished product, a component, and the warning materials may involve different businesses. Receipts, model and serial numbers, packaging, and purchase records help identify the relevant companies.

Tennessee also limits claims against sellers that did not manufacture the product. A retailer or distributor is not automatically responsible simply because it sold the item. The statutory exceptions address circumstances such as substantial control over the aspect that caused harm, certain product changes or express warranties, and specified problems pursuing the manufacturer.

Protecting the Product and Its History

Stop using an item that may be unsafe. If it is safe to retain, preserve the product and its components in their existing condition, along with the instructions, packaging, receipts, and any recall or warranty communications. Take photographs without testing or disassembling it.

Do not endanger yourself to store an unstable battery, leaking substance, or other hazardous item. Obtain appropriate safety assistance and tell your attorney what happened to it. An investigation can address safe preservation, inspection arrangements, and documentation of necessary handling.

If a manufacturer, retailer, or insurer asks you to surrender the item, discuss how evidence will be preserved before agreeing. Expert inspection may help distinguish a defect from later damage and explain how the failure caused your injury.

Reviewing Deadlines Alongside the Evidence

Tennessee personal injury claims generally have a one-year limitations period, with accrual and exceptions requiring individual review. Product cases also face separate outside limits under Tennessee Code § 29-28-103.

Those limits generally include six years from injury and the shorter of ten years from the first purchase for use or consumption or one year after the product’s legally defined anticipated life expires. Special rules apply to claims involving minors, asbestos, and silicone gel breast implants, among others. The earliest applicable deadline may control.

Bring any information about the original purchase date to your consultation, even if someone else bought the product. A recent injury does not necessarily mean the claim is still timely.

How Our Nashville Team Builds the Claim

We review the product, instructions, sequence of events, and available evidence of similar failures or recalls. This may include consulting an expert and obtaining design, testing, manufacturing, or warning records through the legal process.

We document medical treatment, lost earnings, future limitations, and other recoverable losses. A product purchased locally or online may involve an out-of-state manufacturer; our Nashville office can assess the proper parties and forum.

Speak With a Nashville Product Liability Lawyer

For accepted personal injury cases, our attorney fee is contingent on a recovery. The written agreement explains the percentage and responsibility for case expenses.

Bill Easterly & Associates can review what failed, what evidence remains, and whether a defective product claim may be available. Call 1-888-272-4414 or contact our office for a free initial consultation at 3017 Poston Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203.

Frequently Asked Questions About Defective Product Claims