What Is a Breach of Warranty?
When a manufacturer produces or a vendor sells goods, there is an inherent expectation that the goods will be safe to use. If an individual is injured by an unsafe product, the victim may be covered under product liability laws that address a number of different aspects of liability by manufacturers and sellers. One such aspect is breach of warranty.
Warranty Attorney Legal Services
Breach of warranty is defined as the “failure of a seller to fulfill the terms of a promise, claim or representation made concerning the quality or type of a product.” Purchasers rely on express and implied warranties to determine quality, safety and usefulness. Although express warranties are part of a sales contract, implied warranties cover “implied promises from the seller to the buyer that the product, if used as it is supposed to be used, will not harm the purchaser.”
When a buyer of a product is injured as a result of the product, in some cases a product liability suit can be brought against the seller of the product due to breach of the implied warranty. This is not a common occurrence, but if sellers regularly promote and sell products that can cause injury, a valid case can be made. We do not want to see any other persons harmed due to a situation like you may encounter.
Product liability law is a tricky road to navigate, especially if breach of warranty is to blame. However, our personal injury attorneys will carefully discuss and evaluate your case to provide you with guidance about how to proceed if you have been injured as a result of a breach of warranty.
What To Expect Following A Breach of Warranty Case
When you choose the Eltringham Law Group to represent you in a breach of warranty case, here is what you can expect to happen:
- We offer free consultations so you can get all your questions answered and can spend time talking directly with an experienced attorney about your rights and expected outcomes.
- Leave all the work to us. We will be in contact with doctors, hospitals, witnesses, police, attorneys and anyone else necessary to settle your claim. We will thoroughly investigate your situation and will build a solid case to get the justice you deserve.
- You focus on you. Whether you are still recovering from injuries or are simply dealing with the stress and anxiety that is common following a breach of warranty case, now is the time to focus on your own needs while you leave the details of your case in the hands of experienced attorneys that will get the job done right.
- We work on a contingent fee basis. This means that you don’t need to pay up front in order to have our injury attorneys work on your case. We don’t get paid unless we recover a financial settlement or jury award for you.
Common Legal Questions About Breach of Warranty
What is a breach of warranty?
What is an express warranty?
There are different types of express warranties, however it is a guarantee that the product meets a certain level of expectation for quality and reliability. This can be verbal or written. If the product fails to comply with these expectations, the manufacturer will fix or replace the product for no additional charge. Many such warranties are printed on a product’s packaging or made available as an option.
A verbal express warranty is just that – a verbal statement made that ensures quality and reliability. For example, if the car dealership tells you that the car will drive for over 100,000 miles and it fails at 50,000, the buyer can take this up with the dealership. However, proving the existence of a verbal warranty can be very difficult.
What is an implied warranty?
Most consumer purchases are protected by an implied warranty of merchantability that means the product is guaranteed to work as claimed.
Federal law defines “merchantable” by the following criteria:
- They must conform to the standards of the trade as applicable to the contract for sale.
- They must be fit for the purposes such goods are ordinarily used, even if the buyer ordered them for use otherwise.
- They must be uniform as to quality and quantity, within tolerances of the contract for sale.
- They must be packaged and labeled per the contract for sale.
- They must meet the specifications on the package labels.
Used goods are covered under this clause, although some states have different laws about products being marked as “sold as is” which voids the implied warranty.