Practice Areas & Industries: Stephens Lynn Klein LaCava & Puya, P.A.

Practice/Industry Group Overview

With the advent of sophisticated product liability litigation and the growing numbers of self-insured corporations, the firm has devoted considerable time to the defense of large corporations, in both product liability actions and in general liability claims. Those attorneys who are dealing with specific corporate insureds have been taught to be sensitive to the concerns of the self-insured, which are often quite different from the traditional concerns which are associated with the defense of an insured product liability claim. For example, the firm has developed the use of sophisticated confidentiality agreements to protect against disclosure of sensitive product information where cases are settled, and to otherwise preclude wide-scale dissemination of information concerning potentially defective products to the plaintiff's bar or the public. The firm has also been asked to work in conjunction with risk management groups to assess future liability potential, and to otherwise assist in devising quality assurance programs which will reduce the number of potential claims.

Services Available

The firm has specialized in product liability litigation from its inception, both through self-insured corporate clients and corporate insureds. The firm has been involved extensively in multi-district product liability litigation and toxic tort litigation, including claims involving administration of DES, as well as extensive involvement with asbestos litigation. The firm is also currently involved in multi-district litigation involving certain over-the-counter medications, and is representing both self-insured manufacturers and retail outlets on product liability claims arising out of alleged product defects. In this area, the firm also has extensive experience in defending drug retailers in both product liability and premises liability claims as well as lawsuits arising out of the allegedly negligent dispensing of prescription drugs.

The firm's product liability experience extends to suits involving crashworthiness and wheel and tire defects as well as other forms of automobile, trucking and motorcycle-related product liability claims. The firm has also gained experience in the defense of claims involving various forms of construction equipment, including concrete bumps and Gantry cranes, diving equipment, various forms of firearms and related component parts. At the present time, the firm is trial counsel for the Intermedics Group on product claims involving pacemakers and other forms of biomedical appliances. The firm has also had extensive experience as trial counsel for companies manufacturing pacemakers and other forms of biomedical appliances.

The firm also handles all types of general liability work including every conceivable type of accident, including interstate trucking accidents, slip and fall claims, automobile accidents, and accidents occurring in hotels, houses, airports, etc.