Chaffin Luhana LLP

Products And Services

• PITTSBURGH CATASTROPHIC INJURY ATTORNEYS

  Suffering Catastrophic Injuries From A Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Accident? Any type of injury can be difficult for individuals and their families. The resulting medical treatments, therapies, medications, and more can put a strain on finances. Missed work, or difficulty in getting back to work, can cause a lot of worry and hardship. Recovery may be slow, and the overall disruption to everyday life may create lasting damages. Suffering Catastrophic Injuries From A Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Accident? Any type of injury can be difficult for individuals and their families. The resulting medical treatments, therapies, medications, and more can put a strain on finances. Missed work, or difficulty in getting back to work, can cause a lot of worry and hardship. Recovery may be slow, and the overall disruption to everyday life may create lasting damages. There is a certain category of injuries, however, that makes it all much worse. Called “catastrophic injuries,” these are injuries that prevent an individual from performing any gainful work at all. Severe, long-term, and often permanent, catastrophic injuries completely change a person’s life, and leave them at the mercy of the system for assistance. They might include for example a traumatic brain injury or spinal fracture. If the injury was caused or partially caused by a negligent person or company, a catastrophic injury attorney can help. Because these injuries have huge financial implications, often a successful catastrophic injury lawsuit is the only hope a family has for obtaining the compensation they need to survive. If you or someone you loved was injured in a catastrophic accident, call us. our Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys may be able to help.

  Link: PITTSBURGH CATASTROPHIC INJURY ATTORNEYS

• DANGEROUS DRUG LAWSUITS

  At Chaffin Luhana, our pharmaceutical drug and over-the-counter consumer product litigation attorneys have extensive experience in handling a broad range of injury and wrongful death cases involving dangerous drugs and consumer products. We have represented individuals and families across the country in defective drug lawsuits, helping them seek compensation for their injuries and losses caused by dangerous drugs. Pharmaceutical companies have a responsibility to American consumers. When medications and consumer products result in injury and/or death, drug manufacturers can and should be held responsible. At Chaffin Luhana, we have the experience, knowledge, and resources necessary to fight the manufacturers and their insurance companies to get our clients the compensation they deserve. We have been appointed by both federal and state courts across the country to lead some of the most significant drug and consumer product litigations of our time. We serve as tireless advocates for injured individuals and families across the nation and are well prepared to take on even the most complex drug cases. Experienced Dangerous Drug Law Firm If you’ve suffered severe injuries, or if your loved one died from a drug or consumer product, you owe it to yourself to secure the best legal representation possible. The dangerous drug lawyers at Chaffin Luhana LLP have received national recognition for their involvement in drug and consumer product litigation, and have been featured on national programs like ABC’s Good Morning America, the Today Show, and ABC World News. Firm partners Eric Chaffin and Roopal Luhana play active roles in pharmaceutical litigation, for instance: Eric Chaffin was a court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and the State-Federal Court Liaison Counsel in the federal denture cream MDL; Roopal Luhana was a court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the National Yaz, Yasmin & Ocella MDL Litigation; Eric Chaffin was court-appointed Co-Liaison Counsel in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas denture cream Mass Tort Program; Roopal Luhana was Chair of the Law & Briefing Committee in the federal denture cream MDL; Eric Chaffin was a member of the Discovery Committee in the New Jersey Mass Tort Program involving Levaquin; Eric Chaffin was a member of the Discovery Committee in the Yaz, Yasmin & Ocella MDL Litigation; Eric Chaffin is a court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Transvaginal Mesh Litigation; Roopal Luhana is a court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the Sorin 3T Heater-Cooler Litigation. Our attorneys have also represented clients on appeal before the Circuit Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court in the area of pharmaceutical litigation. For example, Mr. Chaffin and Ms. Luhana represented various union health and welfare funds as amici (friends of the Court) before the U.S. Supreme Court in Wyeth v. Levine, which was a key Supreme Court case upholding the rights of consumers to sue pharmaceutical companies for injuries caused by dangerous drugs. Mr. Chaffin has also represented AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired People), which has over 40 million members and is one of the largest membership organizations in the United States, and Prescription Access Litigation (“PAL”), which is a national collation of more than 130 organizations in 36 states and the District of Columbia that works to make prescriptions more affordable to consumers, before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals as amici in pharmaceutical litigation. File a Dangerous Drug Lawsuit If you are a consumer or a referring attorney in need of an experienced dangerous drug or consumer product attorney, contact Chaffin Luhana at 1-888-480-1123. We will evaluate the details of your potential claim to determine if we can help you. Our number one goal is securing the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries. We will work closely with you throughout the entire process so you understand what is happening every step of the way.

  Link: DANGEROUS DRUG LAWSUITS

• DEFECTIVE CONSUMER PRODUCTS

  There are many examples in our consumer-driven society of manufacturers selling defective products that injure or kill consumers. Examples include: ATV / Off-Road Vehicle Defects Auto Defects Baby Carriers Children's Folding Chairs Dangerous Drugs Defective Medical Devices Exploding E-Cigarettes Exploding Lithium-Ion Batteries Exploding Pressure Cookers Jack Stands Roundup Weed Killer JUUL E-Cigarettes Talcum Powder Military Earplugs (3M CAEv2) Despite the fact that manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their products, defective products cause injuries and deaths every year. When disaster occurs because of manufacturer’s or retailer’s negligence, victims deserve to be compensated. If you or someone you love was injured or killed because of a defective product, call us at 1-888-480-1123. We may be able to help. Product Liability and Defective Products Product liability is the process of holding a manufacturer or seller liable for placing a defective product into a consumer’s hands, or for doing so without providing adequate warnings about the risks associated with that product. The applicable law is state law-either statutory or common law. Typically manufacturers are held strictly liable for defects that existed in their products when they were sold. While all products are different, in general, products are expected to meet the ordinary expectations of the consumer, in terms of safety and efficacy. If it’s discovered after the product is on the market that it creates an unexpected danger, or has an unexpected defect that can lead to injury, the manufacturer has failed to meet its responsibilities under state law. Before selling a product, a manufacturer is required to properly design, test, and inspect it, for as long as is necessary to eliminate the safety hazards and make sure the products is fit for its intended purpose. If a manufacturer discovers defects during testing, it is expected to design them out of the product, safeguard against them or if that is not possible, warn against the hazards before putting the product on the market. Even after the product has been released, if post-sale testing reveals the product has a previously unknown defect or hazard, it is typically the manufacturer’s responsibility to either recall the product, fix the problem, or at the very least, display visible warnings so that consumers are aware of the previously unknown risk or hazard. If a company fails to do the above and a consumer is injured or killed, the company may be held liable for damages. Types of Product Defects There are three basic product liability claim types that victims can bring against a defective product manufacturer: Defective design Defective manufacture Failure to adequately warn or instruct about the product use or any potential use risks Defective Design If a product is defectively designed, it means something is wrong or unsafe about the product itself. In other words, even if it’s made correctly and with the best quality materials, it’s still going to remain defective and potentially dangerous because of its design. In the case of defective GM ignition switches, for example, the switches were defectively designed to turn to the “off” position in response to any slight jiggle or bump, robbing the car of air bags, steering, and power brakes, and potentially resulting in serious injuries or death. Another example could be a ladder that was not designed to support the weight it was intended to support, a treadmill that has no automatic shut-off mechanism should the runner accidentally fall, or a hoverboard that gets too hot while at rest, and explodes. Manufacturing Defect If a product was safe as designed, but then in the course of manufacturing it, something went wrong to make it unsafe, there may be a defective manufacturing claim. This is all about the process of assembling or making the product, the materials used, how the product is put together, the plant where the product is made (and its cleanliness, for example), and any issues during shipping or transportation. Unlike a design defect claim, a manufacturing defect typically involves only a limited number of the products produced, often from one single plant or other manufacturing location. Some examples of defective manufacturing may include product contamination during manufacturing (such as a food item that becomes contaminated with bacteria or another harmful substance), a home oxygen tank that leaks, a bicycle with a crack in the frame that later buckles under a consumer’s weight, a swing set with a broken chain, or a car tire that can burst while driving.

  Link: DEFECTIVE CONSUMER PRODUCTS

• AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

  After two years of large increases in the number of fatal car crashes, the most recent data from 2017 shows that highway fatality numbers are down slightly—by two percent. Preliminary data from the first six months of 2018 also appear to show the downward trend continuing. Unfortunately, over 37,000 people still died in motor vehicle accidents in 2017, with more fatalities occurring in urban areas than rural ones for the second year in a row. Deadly accidents involving combination trucks increased by 5.8 percent, while dangerous behaviors like speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol continued to put many Americans at risk. Getting into a car accident is a stressful experience for anyone, but for some, it can be a devastating one. Victims suffer from serious and often life-altering injuries. Some, even more traumatically, lose people they care about and can have their lives completely turned upside down. It can be overwhelming to try to deal with the physical and emotional repercussions of a serious accident, say nothing of the hospital stays, medical treatments, staggering medical bills, and lost wages. All of these combined can be enough to put any family into serious jeopardy, sometimes for years to come. When your life is unhinged because of someone else’s negligence, it’s not right for you to have to pay the damages. The experienced auto accident attorneys at Chaffin Luhana are dedicated to helping you recover the compensation you need to put your life back together. What You Should Do After a Car Accident After an auto accident occurs, there are certain steps you can take to protect yourself and your family’s future: See a doctor: Even if you think you’re okay, you should see a doctor immediately after the accident. That way, you have a record of your injuries you can use as part of your claim. It’s also important to realize that some injuries take time to show up. Your body is full of adrenaline after an accident, which can camouflage pain and other problems that aren’t immediately evident. Injuries like whiplash, back pain, and neck pain commonly take hours to days to develop symptoms, so it’s best to play it safe. Contact your insurance company: You do have to tell your insurance company about the accident to get the compensation you deserve, but we advise you to be cautious about what you say, or better yet, hire an attorney to call for you. The only thing you’re obligated to reveal is the basic information about the accident, including who was involved and where it occurred. Never admit fault, and don’t agree to give a recorded statement. That way you’re protected later on when seeking the recovery you deserve. Contact your lawyer: The earlier you contact your car accident lawyer, the better. We can step in and take care of the details you shouldn’t have to worry about. We manage the communications not only with the insurance companies, but with automakers, construction companies, and any other potential negligent parties that are likely to have teams of lawyers working for them. Meanwhile, we take no money from you unless we get you compensation. Keep quiet: One mistake many people make after an auto accident is to talk about it on social media, or in social situations. If you say something that could damage your case, the other side may be able to use it against you to show that you were at fault, or that you weren’t as injured as you said you were. Say nothing except to your attorney, your doctor, and your family, and warn them to keep the details to themselves until the case is resolved. Don’t admit fault: As noted above, it’s important not to admit to anything. Even if you suspect you may have been partially at fault, allow your attorney to conduct a thorough investigation. There may have been other factors you didn’t even consider, including road and intersection design, construction area management, the condition of the vehicles involved, the other driver’s history, and more. We look out for your best interests—all you have to do is allow us to do that. Refer any other questions to your attorney: If you get calls from other parties, including the other driver’s insurance company, refer them to your attorney. You are not obligated to tell them anything. Don’t agree to a settlement: Insurance companies are looking out only for their own business interests. That means they will try to pay you the least amount possible. Don’t discuss a settlement until you check with your auto accident attorney, or you could start down the path of settling for much less than you deserve.

  Link: AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS