How is a company’s financial responsibility determined in a product liability case?
In a product liability case, a company’s financial responsibility is usually determined based on the amount of harm the product caused or could have caused. This type of case is primarily handled through the Washington Product Liability Act which states that any manufacturer of a product is strictly liable for any harm caused by the product that is used in the manner intended by the manufacturer. In order to prove a company’s financial liability, the plaintiff must demonstrate that they were injured because of the product and that the product was defective. The two main types of product defects that can be used to prove a company’s liability are design defects and manufacturing defects. Design defects occur when a product is inherently dangerous due to its design and did not operate correctly while manufacturing defects occur when a product was not put together correctly and was not fit for use. If it is determined that a company is liable for the harm caused by their product, the company is then responsible for any damages the plaintiff suffered. This may include the cost of medical bills, lost wages, suffering, and pain and anguish among other things. The court may also award punitive damages to the plaintiff if the company’s actions were particularly reckless or negligent. The amount of damages awarded will depend on the details of the individual case.
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