The Role of Imaging in Product Liability Cases

When a product or device causes injury, a court will ask the same sort of questions you would: How did the injury happen? Was there something wrong with the product? Who is at fault for the incident that caused harm? Although these questions seem simple, the answers can be complex. Product defects are generally put into three categories: design defects, manufacturing defects, and marketing defects. In a manufacturing defect case, the plaintiff bears the burden of proving that the product in question had a fault or defect. One useful tool for establishing that a device is defective is the use of non-destructive imaging.

When looking to determine the origin of product failures, X-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) scanning allows for analysis of a product’s internal workings without having to alter or open up the object itself. This non-destructive method is crucial to maintaining a product’s structural integrity. CT scanning produces three-dimensional images by rotating the product or device 360 degrees and capturing detailed information at specific intervals. CT scanning provides dimensional analysis by making it possible to slice through parts in any direction in order to assess their internal structures. This can be done without destroying or altering the device, thereby preserving the integrity of the most important evidence – the defective device itself.

Applications for imaging include the following:

• Density Analysis

• Failure Analysis

• Assembly Verification

• Product Quality Compliance

• Internal and External Measurements

• Reverse Engineering

The law holds manufacturers, sellers, and distributors responsible for products that pose a danger to users or consumers as a result of design and/or manufacturing defects. If a product has injured you, you may be able to recover for your injuries under products liability or negligence law. At the law office of Jinks, Crow & Dickson, our attorneys, who have experience in handling products liability and negligence cases, can analyze the facts surrounding your injury and determine whether the product that injured you was defectively designed, defectively manufactured or both.