Product liability Flashcards

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1
Q

What is product liability?

What two claims can be made at the same time?

A

Statutory basis for claiming for damage caused by defective products

Negligent and breach of contract claims can be made at same time

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2
Q

Is product liability a strict liability regime?

A

Yes - parties can be found liable without it being necessary to show fault on their part

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3
Q

What is the basis for a claim under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (CPA) for product liability?

Wholly or partly

A

Where any damage is caused wholly or partly by a defect in a product, every person to whom subsection (2) applies shall be liable for damage

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4
Q

What is a ‘product’?

A

Any goods or electricity - includes product which is comprised in another product (e.g. component part of raw material e.g. computer chip)

Basically any goods or something it contains

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5
Q

When will the safety of the product mean there is a ‘defect’?

A

If the safety of the product is not such as persons generally are entitled to expect

Children’s toys are more safe than power drills

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6
Q

How is ‘entitled to expect’ decided?

A
  • Manner/purposes for which it has been marketed/packaged (cutlery for younger children safer than cutlery for adults)
  • What is reasonably expected to be done with/in relation to product (e.g. should not microwave wet towel)
  • Time when product was supplied by producer to another (e.g. some products safe when put into circulation but deteriorate to become less safe)

A warning might also be expected to be given for hazards re the product

Richardson - court rejected C’s action for ‘defective condom’ that led to pregnancy on basis that D did not claim product to be 100% effective

No warning in Abouzaid - C injured when attaching sleeping bag to pushchair and elastic strap sprung into eye causing partial loss of vision - product defective because it was supplied with a design permitting risk to arise without giving a warning

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7
Q

What is the difference between the CPA (product liability law) and standard rules of negligence?

A

CPA demands considerably more from manufacturers than traditional negligence (through strict liability)

A - Cs sued National Blood Authority under CPA as a result of personal injuries arising from being transfused with blood infected by hepatitis - D argued public was only entitled to expect it had taken reasonable care that blood was safe which it had done - court disagreed and set standard higher; patient undergoing transfusion is legitimately entitled to exepct they will not be given infected blood (to hold otherwise would be to take strict liability out of strict liability regime)

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8
Q

What is ‘damage’? What does it not include?

As in damage caused by the product

A
  • Damage = Death, personal injury or any loss or damages to any property
  • Does not include pure economic loss, product itself, or damage to property which is not meant to be privately used/consumed
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9
Q

What is the limit on damage to property by a defective product? What must property be ordinarily intended for for a claim to be brought?

I.e.2 instances where no claim allowed

A
  1. No claim re damage to property unless sum exceeds £275 excluding interest
  2. No claim unless property is ordinarily intended for private use/occupation/consumption

Second limit = losses suffered by business not recoverable

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10
Q

What 3 parties are liable for product liability damage? Can only one of them be liable?

A
  1. Producer
  2. Anyone holding themselves out to producer
  3. Any person who has imported the product to UK from a place outside the UK in course of business/to supply it to another

I.e. all 3 parties can be liable (inc company outside UK)

Third point ensures there will always be someone in UK who can be a producer (importer)

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11
Q

Who is a ‘producer’?

3 types

A
  1. Manufacturer (where goods made)
  2. Person who won/abstracted it (things extracted from ground)
  3. Person who carried out the process (things that are the result of a process e.g. agriculture)
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12
Q

When can a supplier be held liable for product liability damage?

A

If person suffering damage asks for details of producer/importer within a reasonable time and when they cannot identify the producer/importer themselves

Supplier example: retailer selling products they did not produce

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13
Q

If a supplier (e.g. retailer) wants to avoid being liable for defects for products which it sells what does it need to be able to do?

A

Tell someone suffering damage who produced/imported goods so person suffering damage can pursue them instead

Person may still have contractual claim against retailer

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14
Q

Can more than one person be liable for the same claim for damage under the CPA?

A

Yes - they will be jointly and severally liable

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15
Q

Who can bring a claim under the CPA? Who cannot?

A

Consumer - not businesses

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16
Q

Must a C have used/purchased the product? What if the product was bought by a business (who cannot sue) and the damage spills on to property of consumer?

A

No! Anyone suffering damages as a result can sue (even if product was bought by a business who cannot sue and the damage spills on to property of consumer)

17
Q

What are the 2 defences available for product liability?

A
  1. The defect did not exist in the product at the relevant time
  2. The state of scientific/technological knowledge at relevant time was not such that a producer (of products of same description as product in question) might be expected to have discovered the defect if existed when under his control

Re 2 - not a defence if aware of defect but knowledge is such that defect cannot be fixed

18
Q

What if the producer is aware of the defect but scientific/technical knowledge means defect cannot be fixed?

A

This is not a defence

19
Q

Can exemption clauses be used for product liability?

A

No

Remember they also cannot be used for implied terms under CRA - so consistency here (cf SoGA where they can be subject to reasonableness)

20
Q

What is the limitation period for bringing a claim?

A

3 years from the later of…

  1. The date the injury and/or damage occurred
  2. When the C became aware or should reasonably have become aware of the damage
21
Q

What is the long stop period?

A

Absolute defence for D if claim brought after 10 years since product put into circulation

But can still claim in negligence

22
Q

What is the difference between CPA product liability claim and contract or negligence claim?

A
  • Protection not limited to those in the contract (don’t have to have purchased product)
  • Foreseeability of harm not needed like in a negligence claim
  • Causation of ‘wholly or partially’ by defect is simpler than negligence causation
23
Q

Now looking at claiming negligence at common law (not CPA)

To whom does a manufacturer owe a DOC for a negligence claim? What can ‘manufacturer’ extend to and when?

A
  • Duty to all users of product, not just final purchaser (do not have to have purchased the product)
  • ‘Manufacturer’ can include repairers, suppliers and distributors where it was reasonable in circumstances to inspect product
24
Q

What is needed to establish breach of the manufacturer’s duty of care?

A

Presence of defect (proved by C) in product will usually be sufficient evidence

But does not always show they fell below standard of care

25
Q

What are the rules of casuation re negligence claim for a defective product?

A

The usual principles

26
Q

What is the effect of intermediate inspection on the manufacturer’s responsibility?

A

If goods were going to be examined some point between manufacture and use by consumer, any harm caused to consumer is not manufacturer’s responsibility

27
Q

When will manufacturer be liable even in the case of an intermediate inspection?

A

Manufacturer liable if they have no reason to contemplate an intermediate inspectiion

Intermediate examination is a ‘reasonable probability’

28
Q

Is a warning to test before use/use product in particular way enough to break chain of causation?

A

Yes! E.g. hairdresser fails to test hair dye in accordance with instructions - absolved manufacturers from liability