What does Strict Product Liability Mean?
The basic premise of the strict product liability doctrine is that a manufacturer or distributor of a product is responsible for injuries caused by defects in that product. Courts have held that there are three separate types of defects: • Design defects • Manufacturing defects • Defects in warnings or instructions. If an injured victim can establish that such a defect was a proximate cause of the injury suffered, then the manufacturer or distributor will be held liable to compensate the victim for his or her damages. In order to recover for an injury caused by a defective product the victim must have been using the product for its intended use. In other words, if the product is being used in a manner contrary to the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions when the injury occurs, then the manufacturer will have a defense to a strict product liability claim.
