Protecting our clients' profits, brands and reputation is of utmost importance to Hill Dickinson. When the risk associated with a client’s product becomes an issue of liability, any resulting legal claims need expert handling.
Hill Dickinson has extensive experience in dealing with product liability claims for insurers and insureds, and operates across a variety of sectors such as aviation, electronics, food, manufacturers, transport, distribution and retail. Our clients range from major international manufacturers to national retailers and small engineering companies.
Our team offers guidance and expertise on all the complex issues that arise in this field including:
- Defence of claims for damages arising from the supply and use of defective products
- Advice on criminal prosecutions
- Pursuing claims for indemnity/contribution from others involved in the contractual supply chain
- Advice to underwriters and policy holders on the scope of policy coverage
- General advice on product liability insurance, including strategies for dealing with product recall
- International multi-jurisdictional disputes
- Dealing with the media and regulatory bodies
- Group litigation orders/class actions
- Advice on legislative compliance
As a national law firm we are able to deal with a full range of claims of any size and can draw on expertise of our full service capability.
Recent case studies:
Case study 1
The team conducted the defence and management of claims on behalf of an international food producer arising from the contamination of prepared ready meals with Sudan 1, a potentially carcinogenic agent. These ready meals were distributed to many leading supermarkets resulting in a huge product recall exercise and claims for tens of millions of pounds. Claims were brought by sub sellers and end users. The team advised on investigations brought by Regulatory authorities, the substantive defence of the claim, policy coverage issues and quantum. It then pursued a claim for indemnity from the importers of the chilli powder which contained the Sudan 1, which caused the disastrous chain of events.
Case Study 2
The team acted on behalf of a national retail chain and successfully repudiated a claim in respect of a defective music device which had allegedly caused a fire which destroyed a family home in Spain. The device had been purchased in England and was presented as a gift to a friend who visited the Spanish home.
Apart from difficult issues of causation, the claim gave rise to complex multi-jurisdictional issues involving English, Spanish and North American law.
