Being unexpectedly injured by a product you've purchased can really throw you for a loop. Depending on what happened, you might be entitled to financial compensation from the product's manufacturer. That said, getting a payout is much easier said than done, and it's entirely possible that the company that harmed you might fight tooth and nail to defend themselves. For that reason, it's important to be prepared and to proceed in the right fashion. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Get Yourself an Attorney Before You Do Anything Else

There aren't many manufacturers out there that will just roll over if you come at them with a product liability claim. You can expect to hear from their attorneys in short order as soon as you speak up. For this reason, you need to make sure that you have your own legal representation ready to go before you move forward. Your attorney can do the talking for you so you don't get goaded into saying something that might destroy your case before it's even really started. Contact a law firm that offers product liability attorney services today to begin the process.

Calculate Compensation and Put Your Demands in Writing

Before you actually sue anybody, you should first attempt to negotiate a settlement. Doing so successfully will keep everyone out of court and will be much less expensive for both you and the manufacturer as far as legal fees go. So how do you calculate compensation?

Pain and suffering are obvious starting points, but you shouldn't forget about lost wages. If the problem that occurred after you used the product is especially bad and resulted in permanent injury or someone else's death, you should ask for a lifetime's worth of wages. The bottom line, though, is that you should ask for absolutely everything. Go big with your demands. This gives you a lot of leeway at the negotiating table once the other side's attorneys come back with a counter.

Limit Your Own Liability

In product liability cases, the manufacturer of the suspect product might try to shift at least some of the blame back onto you or whoever used the products. They could say that you didn't follow the directions exactly or that you were doing something else wrong like not paying attention while using the product. It can help, in this situation, if you have a witness or two who saw you using the product in question. Don't give in to the bait and admit anything, though. Let your lawyer do the talking and you should be fine.

Contact a product liability attorney today for more information.