All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing able students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter examines the statutory strict liability for damage arising from defective products as set out in the Consumer Protection Act 1987 and the EEC Directive on Product Liability. It begins by considering the apportionment of risks associated with products and the development risks defence before turning to similarities between statutory liability and common law liabilities based on negligence and on strict liability. It then looks at the reasons why it is misleading to consider ‘product liability’ in isolation and the concept of defectiveness.
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All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing able students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter examines the statutory strict liability for damage arising from defective products as set out in the Consumer Protection Act 1987 and the EEC Directive on Product Liability. It begins by considering the apportionment of risks associated with products and the development risks defence before turning to similarities between statutory liability and common law liabilities based on negligence and on strict liability. It then looks at the reasons why it is misleading to consider ‘product liability’ in isolation and the concept of defectiveness.
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Product liability is concerned with circumstances where a product has been supplied and causes damage by virtue of some characteristic that might be described as a defect. The main source of law in this area lies in relation to contracts for the sale of goods, where normally the relationship between a buyer and a seller will be regulated by their contractual arrangements, including any valid exclusion clauses. Problems arise however, even in relation to actions by buyers against sellers where the seller is, for example, insolvent or untraceable, or perhaps where he is protected from contractual liability by an exclusion clause. Further, the defective goods may not only injure the buyer, and the contract is unlikely to provide a remedy for potential claimants not party to the contract of supply, since it must be comparatively rare for such a person to derive any benefit from the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. In such circumstances a claimant, whether buyer or not, will be forced to rely on the law of tort or on statute for a remedy. This chapter examines such claims.
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Product liability is concerned with circumstances where a product has been supplied and causes damage by virtue of some characteristic that might be described as a defect. The main source of law in this area lies in relation to contracts for the sale of goods, where normally the relationship between a buyer and a seller will be regulated by their contractual arrangements, including any valid exclusion clauses. Problems arise however, even in relation to actions by buyers against sellers where the seller is, for example, insolvent or untraceable, or perhaps where he is protected from contractual liability by an exclusion clause. Further, the defective goods may not only injure the buyer, and the contract is unlikely to provide a remedy for potential claimants not party to the contract of supply, since it must be comparatively rare for such a person to derive any benefit from the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. In such circumstances a claimant, whether buyer or not, will be forced to rely on the law of tort or on statute for a remedy. This chapter examines such claims firstly those founded on negligence at common law and then under statute where there is strict liability for defective products.
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Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers to engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. Manufacturers and producers are liable for personal injury or damage to property caused by a defective product. The claimant will not only recover in contract for personal injury and property damage caused by the defective product, but he will also be compensated for the cost of replacing the product itself. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 involves a strict liability regime for defective products on a variety of potential defendants. This discusses the limitations of the tort system in providing compensation to a victim of harm caused by a defective product, and analyses the scope and limitations of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
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Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers to engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. Manufacturers and producers are liable for personal injury or damage to property caused by a defective product. The claimant will not only recover in contract for personal injury and property damage caused by the defective product, but he will also be compensated for the cost of replacing the product itself. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 of the UK involves a strict liability regime for defective products on a variety of potential defendants. This discusses the limitations of the tort system in providing compensation to a victim of harm caused by a defective product, and analyses the scope and limitations of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
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This chapter discusses the law on product liability. Common law product liability is based upon the law of negligence. Beginning with the narrow ratio in Donoghue v Stevenson (1932), it further developed the concept of intermediate examination in Grant v Australian Knitting Mills (1936). The relevant statute is the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (CPA 1987), passed in response to a European Union Directive. This introduces strict liability, when a defective product causes damage. The CPA 19876 establishes a hierarchy of possible defendants beginning with the producer. Defences under the CPA 1987 include the ‘development risks’ defence to protect scientific and technical innovation. If damage relates to quality or value, the only remedy will be in contract.
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Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers to engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. Manufacturers and producers are liable for personal injury or damage to property caused by a defective product. The claimant will not only recover in contract for personal injury and property damage caused by the defective product, but he will also be compensated for the cost of replacing the product itself. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 involves a strict liability regime for defective products on a variety of potential defendants. This chapter discusses the limitations of the tort system in providing compensation to a victim of harm caused by a defective product, and analyses the scope and limitations of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
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This chapter deals with damage caused by defective products. It considers two separate legal regimes. The first is the ordinary law of negligence, and the second is the system of strict liability introduced by the Consumer Protection Act 1987, as required by a European Directive (85/374/EEC). The latter is limited to personal injuries and to damage to private property, so there are still many cases where a claimant has to rely on negligence. Also, the Act applies only to certain kinds of defendants (‘producers’), and a claimant will need to use negligence if, for example, he is injured by a defectively repaired product. One important point is that both systems apply only to damage to goods other than the defective product and not to damage which the defective product causes to itself: that is a matter solely for the law of contract.
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This chapter discusses the ways in which liability for defective products is regulated in tort law and which is primarily regulated by statute. The chapter considers manufacturers’ liability in negligence and the problems claimants may encounter when trying to sue. This leads to a later development relating to product liability—the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 1987—enacted to ensure better protection of consumers from defective goods by making producers strictly liable for harms caused by the products they market. However, a claimant may still claim in negligence due to the statutory limitations in relation to certain types of claim.
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This chapter discusses the ways in which liability for defective products is regulated in tort law and which is primarily regulated by statute. The chapter considers manufacturers’ liability in negligence and the problems claimants may encounter when trying to sue. This leads to a later development relating to product liability—the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 1987—enacted to ensure better protection of consumers from defective goods by making producers strictly liable for harms caused by the products they market. However, a claimant may still claim in negligence due to the statutory limitations in relation to certain types of claim.
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This chapter discusses the law on pure economic loss, which is loss that is not derived from physical injury, death, or property damage. It may be consequential, that is resulting from the acquisition of a defective product or property. More commonly, the issue arises due to a negligent misstatement, or provision of professional services. This is an area of commercial and professional importance where there has been a trend towards expansion in the area of negligent misstatement. The two key cases in this area are Murphy v Brentwood District Council and Hedley Byrne v Heller.
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This chapter examines liability for economic loss in negligence. It discusses the basic exclusionary rule in respect of pure economic loss; defective product economic loss; the Hedley Byrne exception; the development of Hedley Byrne liability; Hedley Byrne and the three-stage Caparo test; and White v Jones. The final section of the chapter first considers an economic analysis of the liability rules in this area, and then introduces the debate between rights-based and policy-based critiques of the current law.
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Donal Nolan and Ken Oliphant
This chapter examines liability for economic loss in negligence, and in particular the limitations that apply to claims for such loss at the duty of care stage. The chapter begins with a discussion of the basic exclusionary rule in respect of pure economic loss, including the justifications that have been given for it. This is followed by a discussion of defective product economic loss; the Hedley Byrne exception; and economic loss recovery beyond Hedley Byrne (including White v Jones). The final section of the chapter first considers an economic analysis of the liability rules governing negligent misrepresentation, and then looks at rights-based and policy-based approaches to the law in this area.
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This chapter discusses the difference between an action for defective products taken in the tort of negligence and an action under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. It considers the elements necessary for a claim under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 and the losses recoverable under the Act. The liability of occupiers to visitors and non-visitors (such as trespassers) under the Occupiers Liability Acts 1957 and 1984 is discussed. The chapter examines the torts of trespass to land; private and public nuisance and liability established by Rylands v Fletcher. The general defences that apply to all torts are considered, namely the defences of contributory negligence, consent, and illegality. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the meaning and extent of vicarious liability, looking at tortious actions committed by employees in the course of their employment.
