Minnesota Product Liability Lawyers Who Know How Manufacturers Defend These Cases
When a product injures you, the manufacturer's legal team goes to work immediately — gathering evidence, building their defense, and preparing to argue you used the product incorrectly. At Pattee, Tewksbury & Kerfeld, we've spent 32 years litigating civil cases from both sides of the table. We understand exactly how corporate defense teams construct product liability arguments, and we build plaintiff cases designed to dismantle them.
Three Legal Theories That Can Support Your Product Liability Claim
Minnesota product liability law gives injured consumers more than one path to recovery. Depending on how and why the product failed, your claim may be pursued under one or more of these recognized theories:
- Manufacturing defect: The specific product you received deviated from its intended design during production. The design may have been sound — but your unit was not built correctly.
- Design defect: The entire product line is inherently dangerous. Every unit manufactured according to that design poses an unreasonable risk of harm.
- Failure to warn: The manufacturer knew about risks associated with the product and failed to disclose them adequately — leaving consumers without the information they needed to use it safely.
Under Minnesota's strict liability standard, you may not need to prove the manufacturer was negligent. The central question is whether the product was defective and whether that defect caused your injury. The product is on trial — not your behavior.
Minnesota's No-Fault Insurance System
Minnesota operates under a no-fault auto insurance system. After a car accident, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays for initial medical expenses and a portion of lost wages — regardless of who caused the crash. PIP benefits are capped, and they don't compensate you for pain, suffering, or the full scope of your economic losses.
What Types of Products Can Be the Basis of a Claim?
Product liability claims arise across a wide range of consumer and industrial categories. We handle cases involving defective or dangerous products including:
- Passenger vehicles and automotive components
- Consumer appliances and electronics
- Medical devices and implants
- Safety equipment and protective gear
- Industrial tools and machinery
- Children's products and juvenile equipment
If the product caused your injury and was defective in design, manufacture, or labeling, you may have a valid claim regardless of the product category. Our recreational product liability practice handles Minnesota-specific claims involving outdoor and powersport equipment separately.
Personal injury representation for individuals injured in auto and truck accidents, construction accidents, premises liability incidents, dog bites, and product liability matters — plaintiff-side, across all licensed states
We've Sat at Both Tables — and We Know What the Other Side Is Planning
One of the most significant advantages we bring to product liability cases is direct experience representing corporate defendants in civil litigation. Our attorneys have defended major companies — including Travelers Insurance, Waste Management, and Coca-Cola — in complex liability matters. That work gave us an inside view of how large organizations and their insurers approach product claims: the arguments they lead with, the evidence they prioritize, and the pressure points they look for in a plaintiff's case.
We use that knowledge to build stronger cases for the people we represent. When we know how a manufacturer's legal team is likely to frame their defense, we can anticipate it, prepare for it, and counter it — before the other side ever raises it.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Recover Compensation
Don't Assume Your Case Is Gone Because the Product Is Gone
Many people believe that if they no longer have the defective product, they have no case. That assumption has cost injured people real compensation. While preserving the product is always preferable, the absence of the physical item does not end the inquiry.
Product liability cases can be built and won using:
- Purchase and transaction records identifying the specific product and lot
- Manufacturing batch data and production records
- Distributor and retailer records tracing the product's chain of custody
- Expert reconstruction and engineering analysis
- Similar incident reports and recall documentation
- Witness accounts of the product's condition before and after the injury
If you no longer have the product, contact us before drawing any conclusions about your case. We have litigated product liability claims without the original product and recovered on behalf of our clients.
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Product Liability Questions Minnesota Injury Victims Ask
Can I sue a manufacturer for a defective product in Minnesota?
Yes. Minnesota law allows injured consumers to bring product liability claims against manufacturers, distributors, and sellers. Under strict liability, you do not need to prove the manufacturer acted negligently — you need to establish that the product was defective and that the defect caused your injury.What is the difference between strict liability and negligence in a product liability case?
In a negligence claim, you must show the manufacturer failed to exercise reasonable care. Strict liability removes that requirement — if the product was defective and caused harm, liability can attach regardless of how carefully the manufacturer operated. Minnesota recognizes both theories, and in many cases both can be pursued simultaneously.How long do I have to file a product liability claim in Minnesota?
Generally, four years from the date of injury. In cases where the injury was not immediately apparent — such as harm caused by a medical device or a chemical exposure — the clock may begin running from the date you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury. If you are unsure where you stand, contact us as soon as possible.How do I preserve evidence if I still have the defective product?
Do not repair, alter, or discard the product. Store it in a safe location and photograph it thoroughly, including any damage, labels, serial numbers, and packaging. Keep your purchase records, warranty documentation, and any instructions or warnings that came with it. Notify us before anyone else — including the manufacturer or a retailer — inspects or retrieves the item.When is a class action appropriate instead of an individual product liability claim?
A class action may be the right vehicle when a large number of people were injured by the same defect in the same product line. Individual claims are typically better suited when your injuries are severe or unique, since class action settlements distribute recovery across all members and may not reflect the full value of a serious individual injury. We can assess which approach serves your interests after reviewing the facts of your case.
32 Years of Civil Litigation Experience, Working for You
Pattee, Tewksbury & Kerfeld has been litigating civil cases in Minneapolis and across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North Dakota since 1994. We are a firm that takes cases to trial when that is what the situation requires — and manufacturers know the difference between attorneys who settle quickly and attorneys who are prepared to go to court. That distinction matters in how your case is valued and how the other side approaches negotiation.
If you were injured by a defective product, contact us for a free case evaluation. There is no obligation, and the conversation costs you nothing.