A product is legally defective if it has a dangerous flaw in its design, manufacturing, or warnings. A design defect means the product is inherently unsafe. A manufacturing defect means a single item was made incorrectly. A warning defect means the product lacked proper instructions or safety alerts. You don’t need to prove the company was negligent, only that the product was unreasonably dangerous and caused your injury because of one of these flaws.

If you were forced to use accrued paid time off (PTO) to cover your absence, you likely still have a valid claim for lost income. The law generally views this as you using a valuable employment benefit to replace your lost wages. You are essentially losing the future use of those days. Document the number of PTO hours used. The value of those used hours can often be included in your claim for financial losses.

Yes, you should only accept if the offer explicitly states it is a “full and final settlement” of all claims related to the incident. This legally closes the matter forever. Accepting a partial or interim payment without this language can leave you unable to claim for future, related costs that may surface later. Always ensure the written agreement specifies that by accepting the money, you are releasing the other party from any further liability connected to the event in question.