Rich Hyde | November 3, 2026 | Product Liability
A defective product claim allows someone injured by a dangerous product to seek compensation from a legally responsible company. These cases may involve defective vehicles, medical devices, household products, or industrial equipment.
Texas law provides several ways to pursue compensation when a product causes harm. Understanding the different types of defects and the evidence needed to prove them can help you determine whether you have a valid claim.
What Is a Defective Product Claim in Texas?
A defective product claim is a legal action involving injuries or losses caused by a product that was unsafe because of its design, manufacturing, or warnings.
Under Chapter 82 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, product liability claims may involve strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, or other legal theories.
Strict liability can allow an injured person to pursue compensation without proving that a manufacturer acted carelessly. However, the claimant must still establish the required elements, including a qualifying defect and a connection between that defect and the injury.
The Three Types of Product Defects Under Texas Law
Texas product liability claims generally involve three categories of defects: design defects, manufacturing defects, and marketing defects.
The type of defect affects what evidence is needed and how the claim must be proven.
Design Defect
A design defect exists when a product’s intended design creates an unreasonable danger. The problem affects the product’s design rather than a single poorly manufactured item.
Texas law generally requires proof that a safer alternative design was economically and technologically feasible and that the design defect was a producing cause of the injury
Manufacturing Defect
A manufacturing defect occurs when a product differs from its intended design because something went wrong during production.
For example, a vehicle brake component may contain a flaw that causes it to fail even though the original design was safe.
Failure to Warn (Marketing Defect)
A marketing defect may occur when a product lacks adequate warnings or instructions about a foreseeable danger.
For example, power equipment may be sold without sufficient instructions explaining how to avoid a serious injury.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Texas Product Liability Case?
Manufacturers are often the primary defendants in Texas defective product cases. Other companies involved in selling or distributing a product may also face liability under certain circumstances. However, Texas law generally protects nonmanufacturing sellers from liability unless a statutory exception applies.
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 82.003, exceptions may involve sellers who:
- Modify a product in a way that causes injury
- Participate in the product’s design
- Exercise substantial control over inadequate warnings
- Supply a product with actual knowledge of a defect that causes the claimant’s injury
- Meet other conditions specified by law
Identifying the correct defendants requires examining each company’s role in the product’s design, production, and sale.
What You Must Prove in a Texas Product Defect Case
The evidence required depends on the type of product defect and the legal theory involved. Generally, a claimant must establish that a product was defective and that the defect caused their injuries.
Important evidence may include product testing, manufacturing records, design documents, photographs, and medical records. Expert witnesses often play an important role in these cases. Engineers may explain how a product failed, while medical experts may connect the failure to a person’s injuries.
The Fort Worth product liability attorneys at Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers can investigate these issues and help determine whether the available evidence supports a claim.
Common Defective Product Cases in Fort Worth
Defective product claims in Fort Worth can involve everyday consumer goods as well as specialized equipment used at local workplaces.
Examples include:
- Defective airbags, tires, and vehicle components
- Unsafe power tools and industrial machinery
- Dangerous household appliances
- Defective medical devices
- Children’s products with unsafe components
- Products with inadequate safety warnings
For example, a faulty tire could contribute to a serious collision on Interstate 35W, while defective machinery could injure someone at a Tarrant County worksite.
The type of product, alleged defect, and circumstances of the injury help determine which legal rules apply.
What to Do After an Injury Caused by a Defective Product in Fort Worth
If a defective product injures you, seek medical attention and preserve evidence as soon as possible.
Important steps include:
- Stop using the product.
- Keep the product and its damaged parts.
- Save packaging, receipts, and instructions.
- Photograph the product and your injuries.
- Document what happened.
- Keep medical records and related expenses.
- Speak with an attorney before surrendering the product for testing.
Avoid repairing, discarding, or returning the product before its condition can be documented.
Texas generally gives injured people two years to file a personal injury lawsuit under § 16.003, although exceptions and other deadlines may apply. Texas also has a separate 15-year statute of repose for certain product liability claims, subject to exceptions.
Contact the Fort Worth Product Liability Attorneys at Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers for Help Today
Contact Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers in Fort Worth, TX, today to discuss your defective product claim and the next steps available under Texas law with a Fort Worth product liability attorney. Schedule a free consultation with us.
We are proud to serve clients throughout Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the surrounding communities in Texas.
Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth
4528 W Vickery Blvd #202, Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 400-5000
Available 24/7
Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers – Coppell
202 W Sandy Lake Rd ste 105, Coppell, TX 75019
(817) 400-5000
Available 24/7
COPPELL
For more information, contact Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a Coppell personal injury lawyer in Coppell, TX, today.
We are proud to serve clients throughout Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Coppell, and the surrounding communities in Texas.
Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers – Coppell
202 W Sandy Lake Rd ste 105, Coppell, TX 75019
(817) 400-5000
Available 24/7
Trial Tribe Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth
4528 W Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 400-5000
Available 24/7