What if I get hurt because of a dangerous product?

If you get hurt because of a dangerous product, you can file a personal injury lawsuit to obtain compensation for all of your losses. You have a limited period of time in which to file your claim and must prove the elements of a defective product case.

Under Illinois law, you generally have two years to make a claim for compensation based on injuries caused by a defective product. There are some exceptions. For instance, when a dangerous product exposes you to harmful substances but does not cause immediate injury, you are allowed to bring a claim within two years of the time you become aware of the damage. However, in no case can you bring a claim more than eight years from the time the injury occurred.

You have a number of potential legal grounds under which you can make a claim for injuries caused by product defects. You can allege:

• The manufacturer was negligent
• There were design defects
• The manufacturer failed to warn you of side effects.

You can also use strict liability rules to hold the manufacturer accountable even if there was no negligence involved. See our page on Product Liability for more information.