Product Liability and Tort Litigation

Shipman & Goodwin’s Product Liability and Tort Litigation practice has extensive experience in defending major product and tort liability lawsuits in federal and state courts in Connecticut and throughout the United States.  Lawyers within this practice area at the firm are justifiably proud of their exceptional trial advocacy skills, strong background in medicine and human physiology, and the ability to translate complex technical information into terms that a jury can understand. The practice's lawyers handle cases ranging from single tort cases to complex serial, multi-district and mass tort litigation.

The product areas in which our lawyers have experience include:

• Automobiles:  Our lawyers have handled a number of cases related to automobiles including: airbags, brakes, locking mechanisms and other related defects.
• Drugs and Medical Devices: Our lawyers possess a wide range of skills and experience in defending cases involving pharmaceuticals and implanted and external medical devices. Our lawyers have handled cases involving, among others, silicone breast implants, diet drugs, anti-hypertensives, anti-depressants, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of our firm, we regularly utilize and consult with lawyers from the firm's other practice areas. For example, Shipman & Goodwin's significant health care practice provides us with easy access to a variety of expert witnesses in the healthcare arena. The firm often has a significant edge in securing local expert testimony because of our relationships with some of Connecticut's top hospitals and other healthcare providers.
• Chemical Products: We have defended manufacturers of industrial chemicals, solvents, plastics, additives, dyestuffs, pigments and other chemicals in product liability claims alleging immune system dysfunction, cancer, burns, or birth defects.
• Firearm Products: Currently, we serve as Connecticut counsel for a major firearms manufacturer in connection with governmental firearms litigation pending in over 15 jurisdictions. In addition to managing Connecticut litigation, we coordinated an extensive document production in litigations pending 
  throughout the United States.
• Utility Company Products: Over the past twelve years, we have handled all claims arising out of the misuse of natural gas and its related products for Connecticut's largest distributor of natural gas. These cases include wrongful death claims, property damage claims and other personal injuries arising out of gas-related accidents.
• Swimming Pool and Recreational Products: We have represented a national manufacturer of swimming pool chemicals in product liability cases involving the misuse of chemical products which our client manufactured and sold. In addition, our lawyers have defended cases involving swimming pool accidents brought against the manufacturers of various pool products, including diving boards and pool liners.
• Pesticide Products: Our lawyers have handled a variety of pesticide product liability litigations, including an alleged mass organophosphate poisoning by a pesticide applicator at a public school and an alleged poisoning arising from the use of pressurized wood treatment chemicals. In an agricultural setting, we have defended claims alleging both pesticide phytotoxicity and non-performance brought by commercial growers.
• Construction Products: The firm's lawyers have experience in defending many products commonly used at construction sites including scaffolding, grip grabs, construction site heaters and skid loaders. 
  

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