Product Liability and The Engineer
Note: Last day of class ends at approximately 1:00 pm
In the past few decades, product liability law has dramatically changed the manufacturer's outlook in the design and manufacture of product. The concept of safety and reliability has been altered from a purely engineering/manufacturing concept to a legal/manufacturing approach. This new approach requires an understanding of legal concepts as related to the manufacturing and design process. The engineer's role has shifted to include a safety audit analysis to minimize the existence of a product defect and/or to defend the product in a way that is responsive to the legal concerns.An overnight assignment will be made by the instructor. It will consist of problems drawn from actual cases and a group project that examines the design, instructions, and warnings of a product.
What Will You Learn
- Relate legal concepts as they apply to the manufacturing/design process
- Use safety audit analysis techniques to minimize or eliminate product defects during design, thus reducing product liability
- Discuss defense of product from a legal perspective
- Recognize the importance of potential liability as it relates to the manufacturer
Is This Course For You
Materials Provided
Course Requirements
Topics
- Legal Concepts
- Negligence: elements, defenses
- Strict liability: section 402A (elements, defenses)
- Warranties: express, implied
- Analysis of Defect
- Meaning of unreasonable danger
- Production defect
- Design defect
- Defect by words
- Designing for Reasonable Safety
- Products' use, users & environment
- Product safety audit
- The Role of Standards in Design
- Warnings
- Guidelines for design & warnings
- Functions & use
- Problem Analysis by Participants
- Review of a Product Design by Participants