What is a “state of the art” defense to a product liability claim?

A "state of the art" defense is a defense used in product liability claims in the state of Maryland. This defense essentially states that a manufacturer or supplier cannot be held liable if its product was in compliance with the state of the art at the time of manufacture. This defense is often used when determining liability for a product that has been found to be defective. For example, if a product was designed, produced, packaged, and sold with known defects at the time of manufacture, but such defects were considered acceptable by industry standards at the time of production, then manufacturers may be able to use a state of the art defense. The state of the art defense is not applicable in all cases. It is worth noting that in most cases a manufacturer or supplier can still be held liable even if their product was considered to be in compliance with the state of the art at the time of production. This is because, if a product is considered to be unreasonably dangerous, then a manufacturer or supplier can be held liable even if the product conforms to the state of the art. It is also important to note that, even if a manufacturer or supplier is able to successfully use the state of the art defense, they may still be liable for other damages such as negligence. It is therefore important that manufacturers and suppliers carefully consider the risks associated with their products and ensure that their products remain in compliance with the state of the art.

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What is a “state of the art” defense to a product liability claim?

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