Product liability cases generally arise from one of three types of defects:

• Manufacturing Defects: These occur when an individual product deviates from its intended design. Even if the product was designed safely, an error in the manufacturing process can render a specific unit dangerous. An auto with an error in its airbags is an example of this defect.
• Design Defects: A product has a design defect if its fundamental design is inherently dangerous, even if it is manufactured perfectly according to specifications. The danger arises from the design itself, rather than an error in production. A commonly cited example is a power tool designed without a safety guard, making it unreasonably dangerous. Proving a design defect often requires demonstrating that a safer, financially stable, and optional design could have been used when the product was made.
• Warning Defects (Failure to Warn): This type of defect occurs when a product lacks adequate warnings or instructions about non-obvious dangers associated with its use. Even if a product is perfectly designed and manufactured, it can be considered defective if it does not adequately warn users of potential risks, especially if they are not readily apparent. This applies to both the intended use and foreseeable misuse of the product. For instance, a medication without proper dosage instructions or warnings about side effects could lead to a product liability claim based on a warning defect.