Product liability is an area of the law where businesses or service providers are held accountable for faulty products or services that cause injury.
Manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers and service providers are all responsible for the safety of their products that are made available to the public. The term “product” has a broad connotation but in the area of Product Liability Law, it is usually a tangible product that is scrutinized.
The most common product liability cases are categorized into the following areas:
- Negligence
- Strict Liability
- Breach of Warranty
- Consumer Protection
Negligence
As with general negligence if it is determined that there is a duty owed and that duty is breached, there may be a case in reference to products manufactured by a pharmaceutical company or a medical device that is inserted through a surgical procedure.
Strict Liability
In the case of strict liability, a company that produces a product that is deemed defective, is strictly liable for the injuries that the product causes.
Breach of Warranty
Warranties are statement by a manufacturer or seller about their product regarding its functionality. The warranty may be expressed or implied during the transaction but if the product does not perform as warranted, and an injury occurs, there is a breach.
Consumer Protection
Lastly, the State of Idaho also has consumer protection laws that defend purchasers against some product defects.
In each of these areas of Product Liability, Robert K. Beck and Associates knows how to help you when you have been injured, physically and/or economically, by product defects.