Product Liability, Safety & Recalls

Our team represents manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in defending against product liability claims involving alleged design defects, manufacturing errors, or insufficient warnings. We also provide advice on product recalls and related claims, including those concerning medical products. We understand the complexities of these cases and with a proactive approach and deep industry knowledge, we provide strong, cost-effective representation in high-stakes litigation.

• Acting for an international waste management company on product liability, commercial litigation matters and managing personal injury claims on their behalf
• Advised insurers and brokers on potential product liability claims and / or medical negligence claims arising from personal injury resulting from pelvic mesh and textured breast implants.
• Acted on product liability claims involving medical or injury element for insurers, private healthcare providers, suppliers and manufacturers.
• Acting for a global loss adjusting company and a multinational insurer advising on a range of claims including policy coverage, product liability, property damage and subrogated recoveries.
• Managed all product liability claims for a FTSE 100 major plumbing, heating, and construction industrial supplies plc.
• Acted for the producer of a food product in claims arising out of contamination from an illegal dye.
• Acted for one of the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailers in property damage-related multi-party product liability claims and recoveries.
• Defended a pharmaceuticals manufacturer in a claim arising from a clinical drug trial.
• Defended a German sports car manufacturer in respect of a claim concerning an unexplained fire in the engine of a car.
• Acted for a Germany-based lift manufacturer, in a claim by the owner of an office block relating to a defect which caused a catastrophic failure and lift mechanisms to fall several stories.
• Acting for a supplier of meat products in relation to impurities alleged to have been found in its products.
• Represented the manufacturer of plumbing equipment in a multitude of consumer claims.
• Advised reinsurers on TPL claims under a product liability programme for engineering fleet vehicles, with parallel proceedings in the UK and Switzerland, involving English, Swiss, German and US law issues.

We represent clients in complex product liability disputes, from individual claims to large-scale group actions and product recalls. Our team has extensive experience defending manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in complex litigation involving alleged design defects, manufacturing issues, and inadequate warnings. We always focus on protecting our clients and reaching the best possible outcome for them.

• Defended group litigation resulting from the use of PIP breast implants
• Acted for a medical device supplier and their insurers defending group litigation involving hundreds of product liability claims resulting from personal injury caused by PIP breast implants.
• Advising a Fortune Global 500 multinational conglomerate on a construction dispute relating to asbestos removal, a Privy Council matter involving their Hotels Group and managing litigation relating to their properties.
• Defended a £2m product liability claim on behalf of a fertiliser mixing company following loss of crops from 20 farms in the UK due to boron toxicity in compost.
• Acting for an international manufacturer of electrical components, defending claims against them arising out of fires caused by defective miniature circuit boards in consumer units and then pursuing recoveries from “Part P” electricians for ignoring recall notices.
• Represented London market and European reinsurers in proceedings in Turkey, both in property/engineering disputes involving the application of sub-limits and first-loss reinsurance arguments, and in product liability disputes involving defective building materials allegations and arguments on financial law and efficacy exclusions.
• Negotiated on behalf of a manufacturer of pressure relief valves in claims arising from the manufacture of allegedly defective valves resulting in a multitude of water leaks across the UK.
• Acted for the manufacturer of bearings following a helicopter crash involving several fatalities.
• Defended manufacturers of solar panels in fire claims.
• Acted for a German manufacturer of wind turbines in UK litigation.
• Acted for German manufacturers of mesh implants in English group litigation.
• Defended a manufacturer of intra-ocular lenses in a multitude of English cases and acted as monitoring counsel for other jurisdictions.

Our experienced team provide specialist support in inquests where product safety is under scrutiny. Advising manufacturers, distributors, healthcare providers and insurers, our team guide clients through the inquest process, ensuring full compliance while protecting their interests. We help mitigate reputational risk in connection with product liability issues and support reviews or overhauls of company policies and procedures, including in response to Coroner Regulation Notices such as Prevention of Future Deaths reports.

• Acted for a private healthcare group in a complex and long-running inquest involving multiple deaths.
• Acted for a charity in many inquests arising from deaths in hospitals.
• Provided advice and representation in inquest arising from death during clinical trial.
• Acted for the supplier of a construction locomotive in an inquest and civil claim following a double fatality on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project.
• Acting for a private healthcare group as Interested Party to an Inquest involving significant expert evidence and cross-examination by the Coroner, a company policy and procedure review and overhaul of governance in order to satisfy non-issue of a Regulation 28 Notice Prevention of Future Deaths.

We assist clients in resolving product liability disputes through mediation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). These methods often deliver quicker, more cost-effective results than litigation while protecting relationships and reputations. Our experienced team guides clients through negotiations, combining legal expertise with practical solutions to achieve the best possible outcomes.

• Successful mediation of a claim for significant losses from a faulty swimming pool lining causing widespread damage to the rest of the property

• Successful mediation of a claim for defective installation and a faulty water tank causing substantial flood damage to the property
• Successful mediation of a claim for losses relating to a defective basement sump pump and issues of user failures

• Represented the supplier of allegedly defective automotive parts in pre-action mediation with the car manufacturer.
• Settled at mediation a claim against a geotechnical engineer relating to a poorly designed flood defence.

• Successful mediation of a damages claim off the back of an Inquest against a private healthcare group
• Acting for major name in household appliances defending claims relating to product recalls, damages for fire, flood and personal injury including Infant Settlement Hearings to approve settlements. Delivering training to operations personnel on claims handling, consumer rights, liability and reputation management
• Acting for a bluechip group on substantial product liability cases including a stream of actions relating to defective miniature circuit breakers in consumer units causing fires and leading to litigation, mediations and settlements.
• Acting for international automative manufacturer on claims relating to a product recall in scooters and motorbikes, with issues of contributory negligence by the users.