A Managerial Guide to Products Liability: A Primer on the Law in the United States

Abstract

This article provides an overview or primer on the law of products liability in the United States for use in the managerial decision-making process.  It focuses on the development of case law under the common law in determining a product defect, types of defects, theories of recovery, and the move to the adoption of the theory of strict liability in products cases.  The article is written within the context of the Restatement of the Law of Torts.  The article provides useful information to the product manager who is responsible for production decisions in a business organization.

Key words: Products Liability, Product Defects, Strict Liability in Tort