I recently had a product from a major manufacturer fail that cost around $500, and it caused around $10,000 of damages. I submitted a warranty claim to the company involved, and they refused to honor it and pay the $500. So I pressed harder and told them that under strict product liability they were liable for all of the $10,000 in damages. It took a fair bit of pressure and follow ups over two months, but they agreed to pay the damages in full.
If you want to collect money from big manufacturers, you have to stay aggressive and keep following up.