Which firm fits which case
Start with the product that hurt you. Then look at the firms that take that kind of case. The table below lists, for each of this site’s four main case types, the firms that advertise it on their own websites.
| Case type |
Firms that advertise it |
Court-appointed roles among these firms |
| Roundup (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) |
Schmidt & Clark, Beasley Allen, Motley Rice, Morgan & Morgan, Weitz & Luxenberg, Wisner Baum |
Weitz & Luxenberg was a co-lead in Roundup MDL 2741 |
| Hair relaxer (uterine, ovarian, endometrial cancer) |
Schmidt & Clark, Beasley Allen, Motley Rice, Lieff Cabraser, Morgan & Morgan, Weitz & Luxenberg, Johnson // Becker |
Six firms hold roles in hair relaxer MDL 3060 |
| Airbags (ARC, Takata, ZF-TRW, counterfeit) |
Schmidt & Clark, Beasley Allen, Motley Rice, Lieff Cabraser, Morgan & Morgan |
Beasley Allen and Lieff Cabraser co-lead ARC MDL 3051; Motley Rice says it does too |
| Pressure cookers (burns when the lid opens under pressure) |
Schmidt & Clark, Johnson // Becker |
No MDL exists for pressure cookers |
Each case type has its own page. See Roundup lawsuit law firms and hair relaxer lawsuit law firms. For every firm and case type on one grid, see product liability law firms compared.
Four checks behind the firm list
We compared all eight firms with four checks. Each check uses a court record or the firm’s own website. The order of the list reflects our editorial view of fit for the case types on this site. The checks let you compare the firms yourself.
- Court-appointed MDL roles. A federal judge picks a small group of lawyers to run a multidistrict litigation (MDL) for all plaintiffs. We counted roles in the Roundup, hair relaxer and airbag MDLs.
- Published results. We counted verdicts and settlements in product cases that the firm or a news outlet has published.
- Case types taken. We counted how many of the four case types above the firm advertises.
- Fee transparency. We checked whether the firm’s website states how it charges.
| Firm |
MDL roles (Roundup, hair relaxer, airbags) |
Product results published |
Case types of the four |
Fee stated on website |
| Schmidt & Clark |
0 |
No amounts published |
4 |
Free case review; 24/7 line |
| Beasley Allen |
3 |
Yes |
3 |
Yes, contingency |
| Motley Rice |
2 (one firm-stated) |
Airbag settlement, amount not disclosed |
3 |
Yes, contingency for most cases |
| Lieff Cabraser |
4 |
Yes |
2 |
Not on its About page |
| Morgan & Morgan |
1 |
Yes |
3 |
Yes, contingency |
| Weitz & Luxenberg |
2 |
Yes |
2 |
Free evaluation; terms not published |
| Johnson // Becker |
1 |
Share of suits filed; no amounts |
2 |
Yes, contingency |
| Wisner Baum |
0 |
Yes (Roundup trials) |
1 |
Yes, contingency |
Schmidt & Clark advertises all four case types and runs a 24/7 free case review line. It holds no court-appointed MDL roles found in public records and does not publish verdict amounts, so ask about results in cases like yours. Beasley Allen holds roles in both the airbag and hair relaxer MDLs. Lieff Cabraser holds the most airbag roles. Motley Rice takes three of the four case types and explains its fee. Weitz & Luxenberg was a co-lead in the Roundup MDL. Johnson // Becker filed most federal pressure cooker suits in the period studied. Wisner Baum advertises one of the four case types, and its Roundup trial record is well documented.
The order is not a rating of any lawyer’s skill. A firm lower on this list may be the right fit for your case.
What a product liability lawyer does
A product liability lawyer represents people hurt by a product that was not safe. The law recognizes three kinds of defect, according to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute:
- Design defect. The flaw exists in the design, before the product is made. Every unit carries the risk.
- Manufacturing defect. The flaw happens during production, so only some units are bad.
- Failure to warn. The maker gave poor instructions or did not warn about a hidden danger.
Most product claims are strict liability claims. The injured person must prove the product was defective and the defect caused the harm. The maker’s intent and level of care do not matter.
Your lawyer collects medical records, keeps the product as evidence, and finds proof that the defect caused your injury. In a large case, the lawyer also files your claim in the right court and keeps you informed as the case moves.
How product cases are grouped
Product cases move through the courts in three main ways. The way your case is grouped affects which firm can help.
| Type |
How it works |
Example |
| MDL (mass tort) |
Federal cases from many districts go to one judge for pretrial steps. Each person keeps an individual claim. |
Hair relaxer MDL 3060 in the Northern District of Illinois |
| Class action |
A few people represent a whole class. A court must find any settlement fair, reasonable and adequate. |
The proposed $7.25 billion Roundup class settlement in St. Louis |
| Individual lawsuit |
One person sues alone in a state or federal court. |
Pressure cooker burn cases |
In an MDL, the cases go back to their home courts at or before the end of pretrial work. That is why a court-appointed role matters. The lawyers in charge shape discovery, scientific evidence and the first trials for everyone.
Firms without an MDL role still file and handle cases in the MDL. Many people choose a firm for how it treats clients, not for its leadership seat.
What it costs to hire a product liability attorney
Most product liability attorneys work on contingency. You pay no fee unless you recover money. If you lose, you generally owe the lawyer no fee for the work done, according to the American Bar Association.
The fee is usually 33% to 40% of the recovery in personal injury cases, and one-third is most common, according to Nolo. ABA Model Rule 1.5(c) says a contingency agreement should be in writing and signed by you. It should state the percentage at settlement, trial and appeal. It should also say which expenses come out and whether they come out before or after the lawyer’s share.
That last point changes what you take home. Ask every firm to show you the math on a sample settlement. Our guide on how to choose a defective product lawyer lists the questions to ask.
Deadlines to know
Every state sets a deadline to file, called a statute of limitations. Some examples:
- California: two years for injury caused by another’s wrongful act.
- Texas: two years for personal injury.
- Florida: four years for injury from the design, manufacture or sale of a product.
The clock may start on the date of injury or the date you learned of it, depending on the state and the claim. Talk to a lawyer about your state’s deadline before it runs out.
Before you call a firm
Gather what you have. Keep the product, its box and any receipts. Write down when you used it and when symptoms began. Collect the names of your doctors.
Then call two or three firms. Ask each one the same questions. Who will handle my case day to day? Will my case be referred to another firm? What is the fee, in writing? How often will you update me?
Schmidt & Clark, LLP offers a free case review by phone at any hour. Ask any firm whether its first consultation is free. You do not have to sign with the first firm you call.
The firms, one by one
Schmidt & Clark is a plaintiffs' firm that represents injured people from every part of the United States. Its work centers on mass torts: defective products, medical devices, dangerous drugs and toxic exposure.
The firm advertises all four product case types covered on this site: Roundup, hair relaxer, airbags and pressure cookers. No court-appointed MDL roles were found in public records, and the firm does not publish verdict amounts, so ask who would work on your case and whether co-counsel would be involved.
- Main office
- Washington, DC
- Year founded
- 2005
- How it charges
- Free case review; phone line open 24/7
- Case types it advertises
- Roundup, hair relaxer, airbags, pressure cookers, other defective products
Honors
- The firm says Best Lawyers put it on the "Best Law Firms" list for 2026. Cited source
- C.L. Mike Schmidt, a partner, is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law. The National Board of Trial Advocacy also certifies him in Civil Trial. Cited source
- The firm says Super Lawyers has picked it for 19 straight years. Cited source
Questions to raise
- Its website lists no individual verdict or settlement amounts. Ask the firm about outcomes in cases that look like yours.
- Ask if your case would remain with the firm or go to co-counsel. Mass torts often work that way.
Firm website: schmidtandclark.com
Former Lt. Gov. Jere Beasley founded Beasley Allen, an Alabama plaintiffs' firm, in 1979. It has a long record in auto-defect cases. Today it co-leads the ARC airbag MDL and holds a seat on the executive committee of the hair relaxer MDL.
Beasley Allen takes three of the four case types on this site. In October 2026 it said it was still accepting hair relaxer cases involving uterine, ovarian and endometrial cancer.
- Main office
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Year founded
- 1979
- How it charges
- Contingency ("No Win, No Fee or Case Costs")
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, Roundup, airbags (ARC and ZF-TRW)
Court leadership roles
- In March 2023, Demet Basar was named co-lead counsel in MDL 3051, the ARC airbag inflator MDL in the N.D. Ga. Cited source
- Navan Ward holds a seat on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
- Dee Miles was named to the plaintiffs' steering committee in the ZF-TRW airbag control unit MDL in the C.D. Cal. Cited source
Results it has published
- The firm reports a $162 million settlement tied to a 2021 van crash in which the tires had the wrong load range. Cited source
Questions to raise
- In March 2026, Beasley Allen said it was reviewing new Roundup cases. Confirm it is still taking them.
Firm website: beasleyallen.com
Ron Motley and Joseph F. Rice started Motley Rice in South Carolina in 2003, and it handles mass torts. One of its partners co-leads the hair relaxer MDL. The firm also reports co-lead roles in the ARC airbag, GLP-1, social media and opioid MDLs.
Motley Rice takes hair relaxer, Roundup and ARC airbag cases. It says most of its cases use a contingent fee calculated before expenses are deducted.
- Main office
- Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Year founded
- 2003
- How it charges
- Contingent fee for most cases
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, Roundup, paraquat, ARC airbags
Court leadership roles
- In March 2023, Fidelma Fitzpatrick was named a plaintiffs' co-lead counsel in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
- Motley Rice states that a court appointed it as one of the co-lead counsel in MDL 3051, the ARC airbag MDL. Cited source
- Motley Rice lists a co-lead counsel role in the 2024 GLP-1 MDL. Cited source
Results it has published
- The firm reports a 2019 settlement of $305 million for 10 California jurisdictions over lead-paint pigment. Cited source
Questions to raise
- Joe Rice, a co-founder, died in September 2026. The firm still holds its MDL roles.
Firm website: motleyrice.com
Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser handles class actions and mass torts from San Francisco. Its lawyers hold leadership roles in the hair relaxer MDL and in the Takata, ARC and ZF-TRW airbag cases.
Lieff Cabraser also sits on the hair relaxer MDL executive committee. Its website does not advertise Roundup or pressure cooker cases.
- Main office
- San Francisco, California
- Year founded
- 1972
- How it charges
- Not listed on its About page
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, airbags (Takata, ARC, ZF-TRW)
Court leadership roles
- A court named David Stellings co-lead counsel in both the ARC airbag MDL in Atlanta and the ZF-TRW airbag MDL in Los Angeles. He also serves on the leadership team in Takata MDL 2599. Cited source
- Kelly M. Dermody holds a seat on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
Results it has published
- More than $1.5 billion in total from Takata airbag economic-loss settlements with Honda, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, BMW, Subaru and Mazda. Cited source
- The firm reports a $54.4 million verdict in Mraz v. DaimlerChrysler, a death case over a known defect that was never fixed. Cited source
Questions to raise
- A large share of its airbag work is economic-loss class litigation. Ask how it handles claims for individual injuries.
Firm website: lieffcabraser.com
Founded in 1988 and based in Orlando, Morgan & Morgan is a national personal-injury firm. It reports more than 1,100 attorneys and about 140 offices.
In June 2026 a Florida jury awarded $603 million in a Morgan & Morgan counterfeit airbag case. The defendant did not attend trial.
- Main office
- Orlando, Florida
- Year founded
- 1988
- How it charges
- Contingency ("The Fee Is Free Unless You Win")
- Case types it advertises
- Roundup, hair relaxer, airbags, general defective products
Court leadership roles
- Rene F. Rocha was named to the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
Results it has published
- In June 2026, a Florida jury awarded $603 million to the family of a woman who died when a counterfeit airbag inflator exploded. The defendant skipped the trial. Cited source
- A $20 million verdict over motorcycle brakes in Winckler v. Suzuki, upheld on appeal in April 2026. Cited source
Questions to raise
- The firm has about 140 offices. Find out which lawyer, and which office, would handle your file day to day.
Firm website: forthepeople.com
Weitz & Luxenberg is a New York mass-tort firm that grew out of asbestos litigation. It served as a co-lead firm in the federal Roundup MDL. It has a seat on the steering committee of the hair relaxer MDL.
Weitz & Luxenberg says it was not counsel in Bayer's 2026 proposed Roundup class settlement. Its website offers a free case evaluation but does not publish fee terms.
- Main office
- New York, New York
- Year founded
- 1986
- How it charges
- Free case evaluation; fee terms not listed
- Case types it advertises
- hair relaxer, Roundup, paraquat, talc, consumer products
Court leadership roles
- Robin Greenwald was a plaintiffs' co-lead counsel in MDL 2741, the Roundup MDL in the N.D. Cal. Cited source
- In March 2023, EricaRae Garcia was named to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL in the N.D. Ill. Cited source
Results it has published
- It took part in the June 2020 Roundup settlement with Monsanto, which covered almost 100,000 claimants. Cited source
- The firm reports a $190 million asbestos verdict from 2013. Cited source
Questions to raise
- Weitz & Luxenberg says it did not serve as counsel in Bayer's proposed 2026 Roundup class settlement.
Firm website: weitzlux.com
Johnson // Becker is a product-liability firm in St. Paul. It represents plaintiffs in most federal pressure cooker injury suits. It also holds leadership roles in the hair relaxer, Suboxone and infant formula MDLs.
Johnson // Becker also sits on the hair relaxer MDL executive committee and takes general product liability cases.
- Main office
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- How it charges
- Contingency (no fees or costs unless the firm recovers money)
- Case types it advertises
- pressure cookers, hair relaxer, general product liability
Court leadership roles
- Timothy J. Becker holds a seat on the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in MDL 3060, the hair relaxer MDL. Cited source
- In March 2024, Timothy J. Becker was named one of four co-lead counsel in MDL 3092, the Suboxone film MDL in the N.D. Ohio. Cited source
Results it has published
- A Law Street Media analysis found it represented plaintiffs in 61% of the 292 federal pressure cooker suits filed between 2019 and January 2024. Cited source
Questions to raise
- It lists no pressure cooker verdict amounts. Most of its cases end in settlements that stay confidential.
Firm website: johnsonbecker.com
Wisner Baum is a Los Angeles trial firm. Until January 2023 it was called Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman. It is known for trying the first Roundup cancer cases against Monsanto.
On this site's four case types, Wisner Baum advertises Roundup only. Its other product work includes paraquat and other herbicides.
- Main office
- Los Angeles, California
- How it charges
- Contingency ("No Fees Unless We Win")
- Case types it advertises
- Roundup and other herbicides, paraquat
Court leadership roles
- In May 2024, R. Brent Wisner was named co-lead counsel in MDL 3101, the baby food heavy metals MDL in the N.D. Cal. Cited source
- In May 2020, R. Brent Wisner was named to the plaintiffs' steering committee in MDL 2924, the Zantac MDL in the S.D. Fla. Cited source
Results it has published
- Johnson v. Monsanto (2018): in the first Roundup trial, a California jury awarded $289.2 million. The award was later cut to $78.5 million. Cited source
- Pilliod v. Monsanto (2019): a jury awarded $2.055 billion, later cut to $87 million. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Monsanto's appeal. Cited source
Questions to raise
- Its public case pages center on herbicides, drugs and devices. Ask whether it takes other kinds of product cases.
Firm website: wisnerbaum.com
Each result above comes from the firm's own published record or from court filings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.