Legal Definition Product
There are three types of product defects that are held liable by manufacturers and suppliers: For more information on product liability in general, see this Harvard Law Review note, this Harvard Law Review note, and this Notre Dame Law Review note. Product liability refers to the liability of one or all parties throughout the manufacturing chain of a product for damage caused by that product. These include the component manufacturer (at the top of the chain), an assembly manufacturer, the wholesaler, and the retail owner (at the bottom of the chain). Products that contain inherent defects that cause harm to the consumer (or someone to whom the product was loaned, donated, etc.) of the product would be subject to product liability claims. While products are generally considered tangible personal property, product liability has this definition of extended intangible assets (e.g., gases), natural assets (i.e., pets), real property (i.e., pets), and extended writings (i.e., navigational charts). Product liability derives primarily from tort law. Subscribe to America`s largest dictionary and get thousands of other definitions and an advanced search – ad-free! “Product of Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/legal/work%20product. Retrieved 14 January 2022. Product liability cases can affect defendants and plaintiffs in various jurisdictions due to the number of steps required to create a product and the large number of people using a particular product.
Due to the large number of people who may be involved in product liability cases, plaintiffs often find forum shops to find judges sympathetic to product liability claims. In Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. California Superior Court (2017), the Supreme Court limited the plaintiffs` forum`s search capacity in product liability cases. n. the responsibility of manufacturers, distributors and sellers of products to the public to provide products free from defects harmful to one person or many persons and to discharge this liability if their products are defective. These can be faulty car brakes, contaminated baby food, exploding beer bottles, flammable children`s pajamas, or missing warnings. Examples: Beauty Queen Hair Products makes a permanent hair kit in which the formula causes hair loss in women with sensitive scalps, and Molly Makeup gets her hair done at Bon Ton Beauty Shop and suffers from scalp burns and hair loss. Molly has a claim for damages against Beauty Queen, the manufacturer. Big Boy Trucks manufactures a truck with a faulty steering gear, which was purchased by Tom Holdtight.
The gear breaks down and Holdtight goes off the road and breaks his back. Holdtight can sue Big Boy for damages. The key element of product liability law is that a person who suffers damage only has to prove that the product is not held liable to the seller, distributor and/or manufacturer. As a rule, an aggrieved person only has to sue the seller and ask him to involve the manufacturer or distributor in the lawsuit or to demand a contribution to a judgment. However, all potential perpetrators should be named as defendants in the lawsuit if known. Even if a product is defective due to a design defect, some courts will use one of two criteria to determine that the defendant has no liability. Product liability claims may be based on negligence, strict liability or breach of the warranty of adequacy. This usually depends on the jurisdiction in which the claim is based, as there is no federal product liability law. This lack of uniformity led the United States Department of Commerce to publish the Model Uniform Product Liability Act (MUPLA), which sought to promote uniform procedures for product liability. 1.
A product that is its final phase, usually at the end of a production cycle. This is usually what a user needs or wants. 2. Law: A commercially distributed good that (1) is tangible personal property, (2) is the result of a manufacturing or production process, and (3) has passed through the distribution channel prior to consumption of the good. 3. Marketing: A good or service that offers exactly what the buyer wants or needs, and the profit margin must be justified for it to be in production. Product liability is generally considered a no-fault breach of liability. With respect to product liability, if the plaintiff proves that the product is defective, a defendant is liable, regardless of the defendant`s intent. It does not matter whether the manufacturer or supplier exercised a high degree of caution; If the product has a defect that causes damage, he is responsible for it. For more information on the relationship between product liability and forum shopping, see this SCOTUSBlog article. For more information about these two tests, see this Law360 article.