Investigating Product Defect Supply Chains
When a consumer product fails and causes harm, the source of the problem isn’t always clear. From design flaws to manufacturing errors to mishandling in distribution, the supply chain can introduce risks at multiple stages. In Kansas City, Missouri, both individuals and businesses often face the challenge of determining who’s responsible when a product is defective.
This is where a thorough investigation into the product’s supply chain becomes critical—and legal guidance from an experienced product liability attorney is key. At Goodwin Johnston LLC, we know that accountability doesn’t start and end with the manufacturer. A defective product may pass through many hands before it reaches the end user.
Each party in that chain—designers, suppliers, assemblers, transporters, retailers—may bear some legal responsibility. Investigating product defect supply chains is about tracing each of these steps to identify the weak link.
What Makes a Product Defective?
A product may be considered defective if it’s unreasonably dangerous for its intended use or if it fails to work as a consumer would reasonably expect. Defects typically fall into one of three categories: design, manufacturing, or marketing. Investigating the supply chain helps determine which type applies and who is responsible.
Here’s a closer look at common defect types:
Design defects: These occur when a product’s blueprint or design is flawed, making all units unsafe, even if manufactured correctly.
Manufacturing defects: These happen when a mistake occurs during assembly or production, affecting one or more items despite a sound design.
Marketing defects (failure to warn): A product might be dangerous due to inadequate instructions, labeling errors, or lack of safety warnings.
Each of these defects may involve different parties in the supply chain, which is why detailed investigation is essential for any claim.
Where Defects Can Arise in the Supply Chain
A product’s journey from concept to consumer involves multiple steps. At any point along the way, errors can occur that lead to dangerous defects. Investigating the supply chain allows a product liability attorney to identify where the issue originated.
Here are the most common sources of defects in the supply chain:
Design and engineering: Flaws in the original plans or failure to conduct proper safety testing.
Parts suppliers: Substandard materials or improperly sourced components.
Manufacturing facilities: Faulty assembly practices, inadequate quality control, or contaminated production environments.
Packaging and labeling: Incorrect or misleading instructions, missing warnings, or unsafe packaging.
Distribution and warehousing: Damage during storage or transit that compromises product safety.
Retailers: Selling expired, recalled, or tampered goods to consumers.
These stages often involve different companies, which makes it necessary to trace the product's path carefully to uncover all potentially liable parties.
The Legal Importance of Tracing the Supply Chain
Missouri product liability law gives injured individuals the right to hold manufacturers and others in the supply chain responsible for harm caused by defective products. However, deciding who should be named in a lawsuit depends on what the supply chain investigation reveals. A product liability attorney will carefully examine the product’s timeline and movement.
This process helps uncover whether the defect existed before the product left the manufacturer, whether a third-party supplier contributed faulty materials, if proper warnings or instructions were removed or never included, and whether the product was altered or mishandled during distribution or retail.
Without this type of investigation, there’s a risk of missing a liable party—or worse, pursuing the wrong one—which can weaken your claim. That’s why a thorough supply chain review is often the backbone of an effective legal strategy.
Evidence Used in Supply Chain Investigations
To determine who is liable in a defective product case, your attorney needs detailed and reliable information. Gathering this evidence is often one of the most time-consuming aspects of a product liability claim, requiring access to both internal records from companies and publicly available materials.
Common forms of evidence include product design documents such as blueprints, CAD files, and safety testing data that show how the product was intended to function. Supplier contracts and invoices help trace where the components or materials came from, while manufacturing records like quality control reports and safety audits provide information on production issues.
Shipping and storage logs reveal how the product was handled during transit and whether it may have been damaged along the way. Internal emails or other communications may indicate whether defects were known but ignored, and customer complaints or reports of prior incidents can show a troubling pattern.
Legal Theories Used in Product Defect Cases
Once the investigation identifies where the defect occurred, your attorney must choose the legal theory under which to bring the case. Missouri law supports several theories of liability in defective product claims.
Here are the most commonly used legal theories:
Strict liability: If a defective product causes injury, the manufacturer or seller can be held liable regardless of whether they acted negligently.
Negligence: This applies when a party in the supply chain failed to exercise reasonable care in designing, producing, or distributing the product.
Breach of warranty: If the product failed to meet expressed or implied uses made by the manufacturer or seller, you may be able to claim breach of warranty.
Misrepresentation: This theory applies when advertising or marketing falsely represents a product’s safety or use.
Each theory has different requirements and evidence standards. A product liability attorney can help you choose the one that gives your case the strongest footing.
How a Product Liability Attorney Investigates Defects
Investigating a supply chain takes legal skill, industry knowledge, and access to professional resources. A product liability attorney like Andrew Goodwin will start by conducting a detailed interview with the injured party, gathering background on how and when the product caused harm.
From there, the investigation moves step by step through the supply chain to uncover where the breakdown occurred. This process often involves reviewing all documents related to the product’s purchase and use, as well as securing internal records through subpoenas or discovery once litigation begins.
The attorney may also work with engineering, product design, and quality control officials to understand technical flaws. In some cases, they’ll visit manufacturing plants or distribution centers to observe conditions firsthand. Interviews with employees or others involved in the product’s production and sale can also provide key knowledge.
Common Industries Involved in Defective Product Claims
Some industries are more prone to product defect claims due to the nature of the products involved. Consumers in Missouri have seen a wide range of defective product cases across many sectors.
Industries frequently involved include:
Automotive: Defective brakes, airbags, or electrical systems can lead to catastrophic injuries.
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices: Issues with labeling, dosage, or product design can result in life-threatening conditions.
Consumer electronics: Faulty batteries, wiring, or chargers may cause fires or electric shocks.
Construction materials: Unsafe building products can lead to structural failures and injuries on job sites.
Household goods: Everyday items like furniture, children’s toys, or kitchen appliances can be dangerous if poorly made or labeled.
Each of these industries has its own standards, regulations, and supply chain procedures. A product liability attorney familiar with the industry can work more efficiently to uncover the source of the defect.
Potential Defendants in a Product Liability Case
A thorough supply chain investigation often shows that more than one party played a role in a product’s defect. In Missouri, you're allowed to pursue claims against multiple defendants, as long as there’s evidence linking each party to the injury.
Potentially liable parties can include the manufacturer, which is responsible for creating or assembling the final product, and suppliers that provided defective components or raw materials. Distributors may also be at fault if they damaged or altered the product during shipping or storage.
Retailers can be held accountable for selling a defective product to the end consumer. In some cases, design firms or engineers who introduced flaws in the product’s specifications may also share liability, along with testing laboratories that failed to catch safety issues during certification or compliance processes.
Damages Available in Product Defect Cases
Once liability has been established, the next step in a product liability case is calculating the damages. This phase focuses on the impact the defective product had on you or your loved ones, both financially and personally. Damages can include medical expenses such as emergency treatment, hospital stays, rehabilitation, ongoing care, and necessary medications.
You may also be entitled to recover lost income from time missed at work, as well as compensation for reduced earning capacity if the injury affects your ability to work in the future. Pain and suffering is another key component, covering both physical pain and emotional distress, along with any overall decline in your quality of life.
In cases where the product caused damage to property, such as your home or vehicle, those losses can also be included. Additionally, if the defendant’s behavior was particularly reckless, punitive damages may be awarded to penalize that conduct. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help calculate the damages.
Contact Us Today
When a product defect causes harm, it’s not enough to blame the item itself—you need to investigate how and why it failed. That investigation begins with a look into the supply chain, revealing where mistakes were made and who should be held accountable. At Goodwin Johnston LLC, we proudly serve clients throughout Missouri, including Kansas City, St. Joseph, Springfield, Columbia, and St. Louis, and Kansas, including Lawrence, Manhattan, Wichita, and Topeka. Contact us today.
