Product liability is an area of law that holds companies accountable for introducing defective or unreasonably dangerous products into commerce. It’s a crucial aspect of consumer protection, ensuring that the products we use are safe. This encompasses the entire supply chain, from manufacturers to distributors and retailers, promoting product safety and your peace of mind.
There are three different kind of claim for product liability:
1. Manufacturing Defects: Errors in the production process that make a product unsafe.
2. Design Defects: Inherent flaws in the product’s design that make it unreasonably dangerous.
3. Failure to Warn: Inadequate instructions or warnings about a product’s proper use or potential hazards.
Product liability cases typically fall under one or more legal theories:
– Negligence: This is the failure to exercise a reasonable care during the design, manufacture, or marketing of the product.
– Strict Liability: Holding a party responsible regardless of fault if their product causes harm.
– Breach of Warranty: Violation of express or implied product guarantees.
To succeed in a product liability claim, plaintiffs generally must prove that:
1. The product was ehiter defective or unreasonably dangerous.
2. The defect was already existed when the product left the defendant’s control.
3. The defect caused the injury or damage.
Damages in product liability cases can include different expenses such as medical, lost wages, pain and suffering and in severe cases, punitive damages to deter similar conduct.
Product liability law serves several purposes: compensating injured consumers, incentivizing companies to produce safer products, and distributing the cost of injuries across society through the pricing of goods. It plays a crucial role in consumer protection and public safety, encouraging companies to prioritize product safety in design, manufacturing, and marketing processes, and ensuring your well-being.