Defective Products
- 400+ Jury Trials
- Over $100 Million Recovered
- 110+ Years Combined Experience
We Take Serious
Cases To Trial
A product should not kill you. It should not burn your house down. It should not explode in your hands. When it does, someone made a choice. That choice is on a spreadsheet somewhere. McDonald & Cody holds those companies accountable.
Product liability cases are among the most complex in civil litigation. They require deep investigation, expert testimony, and the financial resources to fight a corporation all the way to verdict. That is exactly what this firm does.
Table of Contents
What Is a Defective Product Case?
Product liability law holds manufacturers, distributors, and sellers responsible when a product causes harm. There are three main types of defects.
A design defect means the product was dangerous before it was ever built. The blueprint itself was flawed. A manufacturing defect means something went wrong during production. The design was sound, but that particular unit was not made correctly. A failure to warn means the manufacturer knew about risks and did not disclose them.
Each type requires a different investigation strategy. McDonald & Cody has handled all three and found defects that no other law firm had identified.
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires: A Growing Category
Lithium-ion batteries power e-bikes, electric vehicles, power tools, laptops, and hundreds of other products. Most work fine. Some do not.
When a lithium-ion battery fails catastrophically, the technical term is thermal runaway. A single cell overheats. That heat triggers a chain reaction. The result is fire or explosion, often with little warning.
The causes vary. Manufacturing defects. Design flaws. Damage from a prior impact. Faulty charging systems. In many cases, the manufacturer knew there was a problem and did nothing.
McDonald & Cody has handled lithium-ion battery fire and explosion cases, including matters involving SK Battery and a $33 million settlement against a lithium-ion battery manufacturer after a fire destroyed a local business. As e-bikes and electric vehicles become more common across Georgia, these cases will only grow. The firm understands the science, knows the manufacturers, and has the resources to litigate them.
How These Cases Are Built
A product liability case lives or dies on investigation. You have to understand what happened to the product, when it happened, and who made the decision that led to harm.
Through investigation, McDonald & Cody uncovered a nationwide defect with a large propane tank manufacturer. They were the first to find it. The defect causes explosions. It was a simple fix the company has since made. That case resulted in a $6 million confidential settlement. No other firm found it.
That is the kind of work that separates this firm from volume shops. They do not just litigate. They uncover what actually happened. And when they find something, it does not just help their client. It has helped people who were never their clients, because the fix is now required nationwide.
What to Watch Out For
- Preserve the product. Do not throw it away, repair it, or allow it to be inspected by the manufacturer without your attorney present.
- Document everything. Photographs, medical records, repair records, purchase receipts. Gather them now.
- Do not speak to the manufacturer's representative. That call is not in your interest.
- Do not assume another case means yours is covered. Class actions benefit class action lawyers. Your individual case may be worth far more.
- Georgia's statute of limitations for product liability is generally two years from the date of injury. Do not wait.
Why Choose McDonald & Cody
- Jackson McDonald clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit for three years. He tracks how appellate decisions shape product liability strategy and brings that directly to every case he handles.
- The firm has the financial resources to litigate product defect cases against major corporations and multinational manufacturers. We pay every expense except medical bills. No loans. No advances against fees.
- We have found defects that no other firm identified. In the propane case, our investigation uncovered a nationwide manufacturing defect that led to a required fix. That is the standard of investigation we bring to every case.
- Attorneys outnumber staff. You speak directly to your lawyer throughout your case.
- Most cases conclude in approximately 18 months.
What Separates McDonald & Cody From Other Georgia Firms
This firm has the legal depth and financial resources to take any product liability case to its conclusion. They have done it against multinational corporations. They have done it when other lawyers said there was no case. They will do it again.
Corporations have actuaries. They calculate the cost of injury and death and build it into their profit margins. They expect law firms to take the settlement and move on. McDonald & Cody does not. The $33 million lithium-ion battery settlement did not happen because the firm settled fast. It happened because the firm was prepared to go all the way.
Our Notable Case Results
$33 Million
non-confidential settlement
$17.2 Million
VERDICT (2025)
$14.5 Million
Confidential Settlement
$13.1 Million
Confidential Settlement
Call Us to Discuss Your Case
We review every inquiry at no charge. If we can help, we will tell you. If we cannot, we will say so.
You pay nothing unless we win. We pay every litigation expense except medical bills.
North Office: 838 U.S. Hwy 441 Business, Cornelia, GA 30531 | 706-778-7178
South Office: 4005 Hwy 365 South, Alto, GA 30510 | 706-778-5291
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