Raleigh v. Alcon Laboratories

**Raleigh v. Alcon Laboratories: Court Rules Against Employee in Product Defect Case** An employee named Raleigh sued both their medical device manufacturer employer, Alcon Laboratories, and West Suburban Medical Center after experiencing problems with an intraocular lens (a device implanted in the eye during surgery). Raleigh claimed the lens was defective when it left Alcon's manufacturing facility and that the medical center provided substandard care during the implantation procedure. The court ruled against Raleigh on all claims. The appellate court found that Raleigh failed to prove the lens was actually defective when it left Alcon's facility or that the medical center's doctors made any mistakes during the surgery. As a result, both the manufacturer and medical center were cleared of any wrongdoing, and Raleigh received no compensation. This case highlights an important challenge for workers who suffer injuries related to products made by their employers. Even if you work for a company and are injured by one of its products, you still must prove the product was actually defective and that the defect caused your injury. Simply being an employee doesn't make it easier to win a product liability lawsuit against your employer.