Goldberg Segalla partner Frank Ramos authored an article in For The Defense, DRI’s flagship national magazine for civil defense practitioners, outlining a strategic framework for evidence collection in product liability cases.

The article, “Everything Matters: The Evidence That Wins Product Liability Cases,” presents a practical guide for defense attorneys, emphasizing that these cases are driven by evidence rather than legal theory or courtroom rhetoric. Frank explains that success depends on identifying critical fact patterns early through a disciplined, methodical investigation of documents, data, and physical evidence.

“Every product has a history. Every design decision leaves a record. Every test produces data. Every manufacturing run produces documentation. Every customer complaint generates a file,” Frank says. “Somewhere inside that history sits the fact that explains what actually happened. The lawyer who finds that fact first usually wins.”

The article outlines key categories of evidence, including design and engineering records, testing documentation, and manufacturing data. It highlights how gaps in these records can create significant risk, as plaintiffs may argue that missing documentation reflects negligence or overlooked safety concerns. Frank also underscores the importance of supplier records, warning labels and communications, and regulatory filings in demonstrating a manufacturer’s diligence.

He further examines the role of complaint histories, incident reports, and recall records in establishing notice and response, while emphasizing the growing importance of plaintiff-side evidence, such as medical record, employment history, and digital data from social media and wearable devices.

“Product liability cases rarely turn on courtroom drama. They turn on facts buried in documents,” Frank says. “The framework described in this article is not a checklist to be completed and filed away. It is a discipline to be applied systematically at the outset of every case and revisited throughout the litigation as new facts emerge and new issues develop. It requires treating every document as potentially decisive. It requires following every lead. It requires preserving, evaluating, and understanding everything before concluding that the defense is strong. Because in product liability litigation, everything matters.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE (Subscription Required): “The Evidence That Wins Product Liability Cases” For The Defense, May 2026

MORE ABOUT GOLDBERG SEGALLA’S FRANK RAMOS:

Frank is nationally recognized legal advisor and litigator, Frank has been defending clients in civil litigation for more than 26 years, focusing his practice on retail, product liability, premises liability, trucking, insurance, and commercial disputes. A seasoned litigator, he has taken numerous trials and arbitrations to verdict or award.

Frank uses his extensive litigation experience to provide counsel, defense, and strategic guidance to retailers, developers, restaurants, fitness chains, hotels, resorts and other hospitality businesses. His representation has included negligent security, slip/trip and falls, catastrophic personal injury, trucking and motor vehicle accidents, employment and construction claims, as well as a variety of commercial disputes ranging from intellectual property and breach of contract to bad faith, franchise agreements, and landlord-tenant issues.