{"id":353341,"date":"2016-04-04T10:46:51","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/injury\/product-liability\/product-liability-background.html"},"modified":"2025-08-17T10:15:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T15:15:31","slug":"product-liability-background","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/product-liability-background.html","title":{"rendered":"Product Liability Law: Some Legal Background"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n<div class=\"fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\"><h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">Product Liability Law: Some Legal Background<\/h1>\n\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/natalie-moritz\/\">Natalie Moritz<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/jordan-walker-j-d\/\">Jordan Walker, J.D.<\/a>\n                | Last reviewed\n        <time>\n                            August 17, 2025\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n    <div class=\"fl-callout-text article-blockquote\">\n        <p>Product liability law is rooted in both tort and contract principles. It&#8217;s evolved over time to better protect consumers from defective products, leading to implied warranties and negligence-based claims. Strict liability further shifted the focus from proving manufacturer fault to holding them accountable simply for releasing defective products.<\/p>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have sustained an injury because of a manufacturing defect, design defect, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/defects-in-warnings.html\">failure to warn<\/a>, you may have grounds for a product liability claim.<\/p>\n<p>This article shares the history and development of product liability law. You can also talk to a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/products-liability-law\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">product liability attorney<\/a>\u00a0to learn how modern laws speak to your situation. Today&#8217;s product liability statutes apply to several types of products, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/pharmaceutical-drug-liability.html\">Pharmaceuticals<\/a>\u00a0and medical devices<\/li>\n<li>Automobiles<\/li>\n<li>Electronics<\/li>\n<li>Household appliances<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/food-recalls.html\">Food and beverages<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Origin of Product Liability Law<\/h2>\n<p>When courts in the United States began to impose\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/consumer-transactions\/what-is-the-warranty-of-merchantability.html\">implied warranties of merchantability<\/a>\u00a0in the late 1800s, the rule required that the plaintiff have privity of contract with the defendant. Privity of contract means that only parties who are directly involved in a contract can sue or be sued.<\/p>\n<p>In the context of product liability, privity of contract means that the buyer must have purchased a product directly from the manufacturer (not a distributor or retailer) to recover from the manufacturer.<\/p>\n<p>During that time, manufacturers began to rely more heavily on retailers to sell products. Since many buyers did not actually purchase the products directly from the manufacturers, they\u00a0could not recover for breach of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/consumer-transactions\/what-is-an-implied-warranty.html\">implied warranty claims<\/a>\u00a0from the manufacturers due to a lack of privity of contract.<\/p>\n<p>Courts opened the doors to modern product liability cases in the 1950s and 1960s by allowing remote plaintiffs to recover against the manufacturers of defective products. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ali.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Law Institute<\/a>\u00a0(ALI) included rules regarding product liability in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ali.org\/publications\/restatement-law-second\/torts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restatement (Second) of Torts<\/a>, which was officially put into effect in 1965.<\/p>\n<p>Since the 1960s, the law of products liability has continued to expand and develop. The ALI recognized this development by approving the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ali.org\/publications\/restatement-law-third\/torts-third\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restatement (Third) of Torts: Products Liability<\/a>, in 1998.<\/p>\n<h2>The Strict Liability Revolution<\/h2>\n<p>Another major step in product liability law was the incorporation of strict liability. Most areas of law are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/proving-fault-in-a-product-liability-case.html\">deeply concerned with fault<\/a>\u2014the idea that a party should be liable only if its wrongdoing caused an injury.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s the difference between strict product liability, negligence, and contract law? Let&#8217;s define each\u00a0one:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/accident-injury-law\/proving-fault-what-is-negligence.html\">Negligence<\/a>\u00a0concerns the defendant&#8217;s conduct<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/business-contracts-forms\/contract-law.html\">Contract law<\/a>\u00a0concerns a breach of contract<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/proving-fault-in-a-product-liability-case.html\">Strict liability<\/a>\u00a0is an exception, making\u00a0a party is liable for damages\u00a0<em data-redactor-tag=\"em\">regardless\u00a0<\/em>of whether its conduct contributed to the injury<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many legal commentators refer to strict product liability as a \u201cpolicy decision.&#8221; This basically means it leads to desirable outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Strict product liability is premised on the idea that manufacturers are best positioned to ensure their products are safe for consumers. Making it easier for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/get-legal-help-with-a-defective-product-injury.html\">injured consumers to sue<\/a>\u00a0encourages manufacturers to make safer products in order to avoid lawsuits.<\/p>\n<p>The rise of\u00a0strict product liability also tends to\u00a0shifts the cost of product-related injuries towards manufacturers and away from consumers. The net effect is to improve overall\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/consumer-protection-laws-and-agencies.html\">product safety<\/a>\u00a0and more fully compensate injured consumers.<\/p>\n<h2>History of Product Liability State Laws<\/h2>\n<p>California became the first state to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/court\/ca-supreme-court\/1817451.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adopt strict products liability<\/a>\u00a0in 1963. Other state legislatures followed suit. In 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court incorporated\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/court\/us-supreme-court\/476\/858.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">strict product liability into admiralty law<\/a>. Today, most states recognize some version of strict products liability.<\/p>\n<p>When filing a product liability lawsuit, plaintiffs routinely assert strict liability claims along with other tort claims and contract claims.<\/p>\n<h2>What Does Product Liability Have To Do With Tort and Contract Law?<\/h2>\n<p>Products liability law consists of a mixture of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/torts-and-personal-injuries.html\">tort law<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/business-contracts-forms\/contract-law.html\">contract law<\/a>. Legal theories related to tort include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strict liability<\/li>\n<li>Negligence<\/li>\n<li>Deceit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Legal theories relating to contract law primarily concern\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/consumer-transactions\/what-are-express-and-implied-warranties.html\">warranty laws<\/a>. Because this area of law is hybrid in nature, a plaintiff may assert a number of possible claims, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Negligence<\/li>\n<li>Breach of warranty (both implied warranty of fitness and express warranty)<\/li>\n<li>Fraud<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The basis for product liability law developed over several centuries. English courts developed the doctrine of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/consumer-transactions\/what-does-caveat-emptor-mean.html\">caveat emptor<\/a>, meaning &#8220;let the buyer beware.&#8221; Under this doctrine, a buyer was expected to protect himself against both obvious and hidden defects in a product and could not recover from the manufacturer for damages caused by these defects.<\/p>\n<p>Over time, English courts began to recognize a rule that a seller implicitly warrants that a product does not contain a hidden defect. Change across the ocean was slower to take effect, as\u00a0courts in America continued to employ the caveat emptor rule for most of the nineteenth century.<\/p>\n<h2>Product Liability: Early Cases<\/h2>\n<p>Early product liability cases helped shape today&#8217;s law. Certain legislative reforms also progressed into the product liability laws we use today.<\/p>\n<p>Going back to the concept of privity, courts generally required a direct contractual relationship between the injured party and the manufacturer. This made it difficult for consumers to recover damages for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/consumer-transactions\/defective-products-and-consumer-rights.html\">defective products<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>One of the earliest exceptions to this rule came in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Winterbottom_v_Wright\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em data-redactor-tag=\"em\">Winterbottom v. Wright<\/em>\u00a0(1842)<\/a>, an English common law case. In this case, the court denied recovery to a coach driver injured by a defective coach, reinforcing the privity requirement. This case laid the groundwork for future challenges to the laws at the time.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nycourts.gov\/reporter\/archives\/macpherson_buick.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. (1916)<\/a>, the Court of Appeals of New York ruled that a manufacturer could be held liable for negligence even without direct contractual ties to the injured party. This case marked a turning point in product liability law. It established that manufacturers owe a duty of care to the end users of their products. It led to broader\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer.html\">consumer protections<\/a>\u00a0and paved the way for modern laws regarding negligence, breach of warranty, and strict liability.<\/p>\n<p>In 1963, the California Supreme Court&#8217;s decision in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/court\/ca-supreme-court\/1817451.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em data-redactor-tag=\"em\">Greenman\u00a0v. Yuba Power Products, Inc<\/em><\/a>. firmly established the principle of strict liability in tort. The court held that a manufacturer could be liable for injuries caused by a defective product, regardless of whether the injured party had purchased the product directly.<\/p>\n<p>This case marked a shift towards a focus on consumer safety, where manufacturers can be held accountable simply for placing defective products in the marketplace.<\/p>\n<h2>Contact an Attorney for a Product Liability Case Assessment<\/h2>\n<p>Product liability laws were developed to protect consumers from being injured by poorly designed or manufactured products. If you were injured by a product defect, an attorney can determine if you have a viable claim against the seller or manufacturer.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about the strength of your claim, contact a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/personal-injury-plaintiff\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">personal injury lawyer<\/a>\u00a0near you. An attorney familiar with your jurisdiction&#8217;s laws can assess your situation and advise on the next best steps.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__question fl-text-lg-bold\"\n        >Was this helpful?<\/span>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"Yes\"\n                value=\"yes\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">Yes<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-up\" 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  class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <button\n                    class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-button was-this-helpful__feedback-button--cancel fl-button primary disabled\"\n                    type=\"reset\"\n                >\n                    <span class=\"fl-button-content\">Cancel<\/span>\n                    <i\n                        class=\"fa fa-times-circle medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message\" role=\"status\">\n        <i class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-icon fa fa-check\"><\/i>\n        <p class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"fl-section-sidebar\"><div class=\"fl-editors-summary\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content\">\n                    <h2>Can I Solve This on My Own or Do I Need an Attorney?<\/h2>\n                <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-main\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-main\">\n            \n        <\/div>\n        <ul class=\"fl-list-style-none\">\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    A lawyer can help seek fair compensation on your behalf\n\n                <\/li>\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    Accident and injury claims are complex and 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