Howard Trafman and Steve Schuetz Secure Early Voluntary Dismissal on Product Liability Case

An in-depth investigation at the outset of an assignment always pays off, and Howard Trafman and Steve Schuetz certainly demonstrated this in a recent multi-party product liability case in Cook County, Illinois.

Plaintiff was allegedly injured after the lift machine he was using at work to pick products from store shelves fell to ground level from two stories up.  Plaintiff filed a lawsuit against numerous entities predicated on theories of product liability and negligence, alleging that the defendants designed, manufactured, sold and/or distributed the allegedly defective lift machine and/or its subject gear box.

Upon assignment, Trafman and Schuetz reviewed documents provided by the plaintiff’s employer (a large chain) and worked with the client to locate and analyze its own sales documentation.   Trafman and Schuetz were able to demonstrate that our client did not sell or distribute the products involved in this incident.  After preparing and providing an affidavit from our client, Plaintiff’s counsel agreed to a voluntary dismissal.

This case is certain to be around for a substantial amount of time, so this early litigation win is a huge time and cost savings to our client.  While it is always tricky to secure dismissal from a multiparty action before written discovery, Trafman and Schuetz’s persistent advocacy and investigation culminated in a big victory (and a big relief) for our client.